Thank you NetGalley for giving me a good old-fashioned belly-laugh.
Before I give my thoughts on this, I have to confess to disliking Groundhog Day with a passion. I’m also fairly ambivalent about John Hughes’ movies...though I know them well enough to get the references here.
When Andie’s parents move her to Punxsutawney she spends the summer hanging out at the local movie theatre. Convinced she will find a boyfriend in one of the staff there (whose name has escaped me as he’s not particularly memorable, other than for being totally the wrong person for her) she is understandably nervous about her first day at a new school.
Her first day is a humdinger of awfulness. What’s worse is that she wakes the next day...and she’s back on her first day. This cycle is destined to repeat over and over.
Andie slowly starts to use her rather unusual situation to find out more about the students around her. She acquires new skills and plays some blinders worthy of their own place in an 80s teen movie.
Eventually, the cycle breaks and unless you’re VERY hard-hearted, you’ll applaud Andie all the way.

Pretty in Punxsutawney by Laurie Boyle Crompton is a cute young adult romance. Andie and her family moved to Punxsutawney, and she is starting a new school year. After a disastrous first day, she gets stuck repeating the same day, over and over again. I enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading this author again.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I enjoyed this throw back novel to the 80s where the story line was a bit groundhogs day and pretty in Pink blended. I'm not sure all the 80s references will really work for today's teen. I thought the character development and self learning was excellent.

Pretty in Punxsutawney was inspired by Groundhog Day and the John Hughes’s film, Pretty in Pink. Th book follows new girl, Andie as she navigates her first day of school. Every day of over 4 months! As the reader, we can see how Andie navigates each and everyday in the hopes of breaking the spell that has been cast over her.
Each day Andie learns different and new things about her classmates and she tries to use them to her advantage. Without them knowing that she knows. Boyle- Crompton was able to easily pull me in with the opening! However, by the time I was at chapter 3, I was starting to lose steam in my positive feelings about this book

My problem with the book was that it was repetitive and redundant. (Which makes sense when you factor in that Groundhog Day was a movie based on reliving the same day over and over and over again).

https://fortheloveofdewey.blogspot.com/2019/01/pretty-in-punxsutawney-by-laurie-boyle.html

4 pink stars! Yes, this book was “pretty” predictable with its mashup of Groundhog Day and Pretty in Pink, but it was still charming in its own way. Watching Andie go through the same day over and over again and reading about some of the shaming and she experienced was entertaining. In all seriousness though, the first day of school at a new high school is the stuff of nightmares as it is even without having to repeat it over and over. I love all the John Hughes movie references and liked “Andie’s Day Off” a la Ferris Bueller. This book was a really quick and cute contemporary read!

This read exactly as it sounds - a mash-up of two great movies -and I really enjoyed it! Andie definitely undergoes an evolution throughout the book and I think it was done well. The book didn't feel repetitive at all even with the reliving of the same day. This is a super fast read but one I also didn't want to put down - it you are looking for something fun and not super deep, this one is definitely for you!

Pretty in Punxsutawney came out earlier this week on January 15, 2019, and you can purchase HERE.

The two of us laugh and discuss our favorite parts of the action movie we were just watching, while the strong aroma of warm butter wafts around us. It smells an awful lot like falling in love.

Grease meets Groundhog's Day meets the angst of every high school blunder ever.

Andie and her mother are major movie buffs. Andie's range of flicks is any movie while her mother seems to be stuck in the 80s and knows that every life problem can be solved by John Hughes.

This book was really cute. I couldn't put it down. It's definitely 'Groundhog's Day,' just not on Groundhog's Day. Instead, it is the first day of Andie's senior year of high school in a new school. It's that same frustrating feeling of trying to figure out what is going to get you to 'tomorrow' on top of dealing with navigating through the harsh seas of high school scrutiny. Who knows if it's a blessing or a curse to be able to redo an entire day. (Although, I think people would probably prefer to not live a high school day over and over.)
This book has good messages about finding you and your place in the grand scheme of things and looking outside the box of cliques that naturally form in our society.

I think that Punxsutawney Phil must have some kind of curse on newcomers...

Can I give this more than 5 stars?



First I want to thank Netgalley and Blink Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel for an honest review.



This is the best book I have read so far this year! I like YA contemporary novels but my favorite style of books has been thriller so this is saying a lot considering I have read some good thrillers already this year. I am not sure if I loved this so much because it is a mash up of my favorite John Hughes Film "Pretty in Pink" and my favorite time loop movie "Groundhog Day" (okay and Happy Death Day but whatever!)or if I loved this so much because the main character agrees with me on whom Andie should end up with in "PIP" but I just adored this book. I just know that this book really got to me in the best of ways. If there was a feeling this book made me feel it. I loved the main character of Andie and I loved all of the other characters in this sweet and funny novel that is perfect for a Valentine's Day read. Luckily it comes out just in time!



Now for the plot.... Andie is the new girl in Punxsutawney, Pa. Her Dad a therapist who made a living writing books has stopped selling as many so the family packs up and moves from the tiny town Andie grew up in to a different world. Sure Punxsutawney is not a huge city but it's big enough for the high school to have every kind of clique you can imagine as well as the perfect boy she meets in the most perfect "meet cute" way. When Andie's 80's movie obsessed Mom insists on watching "Pretty in Pink" the day before the first day at school Andie is not happy. She loves the 80's movies and she loves spending time with her Mom. She just was not impressed with the movie. How could movie Andie have picked boring Blane over fun, sweet and oh so loyal Duckie? So yeah, not impressed. Things get worse when she wakes up late and has to wear the terrible pink polka dot vintage dress her Mom had her try on the night before because she didn't have a chance to change. The only bright spot? She gets to ride to school with her crush Colton and he is giving her a tour!



The culture shock of the cliques is the first thing that hits Andie and then there is the fact Colton's heart seems to belong to a girl named Kaia. As Andie falls asleep that night disappointed in the way her first day went she can only hope things get better the next day. That is not to be as Andie's day repeats itself. Caught in what seems to be a never ending loop Andi is convinced that her Mom must be correct and that true love's kiss is the answer to getting her out of this mess. As she finds herself trying over and over to get her first kiss with Colton, Andie begins to realize that people are not defined by how they dress and what the enjoy and that just because you think you no someone you really don't until you have walked a day in their shoes. Will kissing Colton end the loop? Is there someone else out there that is her true love or is this about so much more?



I saw that some think there there are really no cliques anymore so this book is behind in the times but I beg to differ. There are still cliques, heck take a look at social media and see who follows who on Instagram and say there are no cliques now!



This is a sweet and lovely romance and I am glad I got to read it. I found myself laughing and smiling and I even teared up a bit in the end. This is a must read for 80's fans and true romantics!

Groundhog Day does high school. An absolute dream for 80s film fans.

Heart, soul and smarts. I wish I'd slowed down because it was over just too soon!

For me, films were my childhood, my adolescence, important to my family - we quote them to each other all the time, refer to them in conversation, have shared favourites. Though I was a teenager in the 90s I was brought up on John Hughes (among others) so for me, the homage to the director and his output, as well as the wider world of cinema, was just pure bliss.

In a plot that will sound familiar, Andie (yes the name is a Hughes reference in itself) starts at a new school, senior year, with a major crush on Colt. Forced to wear a pink dress on her first day by her mum after watching Pretty in Pink the night before, she goes on to have an embarrassing day. But it's just one day. Surely she has a new chance tomorrow. Except that when morning dawns, it's the first day of school and she's wearing the pink dress again...

It's clear from the first just what kind of film-mad author we have here to take us on a filmic tribute ride. Andie, new to the town of Punxsutawney, is in the throes of an infatuation with a movie theatre worker, dreams of their 'meet-cute', enjoys watching 80s films with her mum. It's a pretty dreadful 'first day at school' and we know, from the moment she wakes up on the same day again and even refers to the Bill Murray film that we know what is coming. And it's brilliant.

Andie does what any typical adolescent with a crush would do - try to win their attention and their heart by any means necessary. There's a rival, of course. And Andie realises she may have to win her first kiss, and true love's at that, to break the cycle of her first day. But Andie has an advantage, as she discovers, of time.

While this is a high-school-romance in some respects, the Groundhog Day plot and even scenes are followed quite closely in parts (even down to a repeatedly dropped tray). I loved Crompton's spin on the main character improving him/herself, here in a high school setting this becomes a plot where Andie can take her time and discover who EVERYONE is, not just herself. Watching The Breakfast Club, she sees the social barriers around her, and might just be able to use her curse to good effect.

Andie herself copes with the situation much more maturely than I would have, she is smart about using time to her advantage. I really liked seeing Tom (a fellow film buff) pop up in different locations allowing them to have different conversations each time. And I really liked seeing behind the scenes of groups that you think you know - cheerleaders, goths, the Yearbook crew. A high school in a day.

This will hit a nerve with film buffs of any age who know the films - Beetlejuice, Footloose, Ferris Bueller, Clueless - it's witty and Andie knows her stuff. If you're a reader after a fun, unusual high school story, I am trying to picture how you will enjoy this without understanding the context of the references. It won't be as gratifying, but the story will still hold up.

There are plot strands that are tied together really nicely by the end, with stock characters from eighties films: mean girl, jock, quiet nerd, kooky parent, who all seem like stereotypes until Andie draws them out more.

I don't re-read often, but I think I might save this one for next Christmas when I want something that will warm me up and give me a bit of a fuzzy feeling about humanity (quite a lot like Groundhog Day does).

I might say this would be wasted on most teenagers, but that would be unfair. What I mean is that it will be appreciated by older readers who have seen these films in their own youths and can also look back on school with distance and life experience. A great crossover read.

Wonderful reminiscing experience, and just like Clueless or Ten Things I Hate About You, shows that a modern high school makes the perfect setting for just about any 'classic'!

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample e-copy.

Three and a half stars: A cute, quirky book with a Groundhog’s Day theme that relies heavily on eighties pop culture, but the ending is a miss.

Andie has spent the entire summer flirting with golden boy Colton at the local theater in Punxsutawney, PA. Now it is the night before her first day of her senior year in a brand new school. Andie isn’t looking forward to being the new girl, but at least Colton is driving her to school and showing her around, and hopefully he will finally be her boyfriend. The night before, Andie and her mom watch the classic film: Pretty in Pink. Andie falls asleep watching the movie, and wakes up rattled. Then her first day turns into a disaster. Then something inexplicable happens, Andie wakes up to find herself reliving the same day. Maybe she can make her second first day of school better, but then it keeps happening. Andie continually relives that first day of school over and over and over, but why?
What I Liked:
*Pretty in Punxsutawney is a book that is supposed to appeal to teens, but in all honesty, I see this book appealing more to the older crowd, those who grew up in the eighties watching the classic movies mentioned in the book. It was fun to see the Ground Hog Day theme mashed with eighties movies. A fun read.
*What surprised me the most about this book was that the author tried to make a point about stereotypes and labels. As Andie continues to relive the same day over and over, she starts to try on different looks and she attempts to fit in with different groups at school. Over time, she learns to see beyond the stereotypes and labels to the people underneath, and she makes it her mission to see if she can get others to see that way too. I enjoyed the commentary on looking beyond cliques, groups, stereotypes and labels. Refreshing!
*If you grew up in the eighties or if you are a fan of eighties teen movies, you get a nice dose of nostalgia with this one. There are plenty of references to some classic teen eighties movies. Blast from the past.
*I enjoyed the whole Ground Hog Day theme. It was entertaining to watch Andie constantly relive the same day, making new mistakes and learning new things each and every day. I liked drawing comparisons to the original while reading.
*There is a romance, and it was cute. I liked seeing it unfold.
*I loved seeing the teenagers interacting with the folks living in the retirement home. The scenes with Tom’s Meemaw were so fun.
*I appreciated that Andie had two involved, supportive parents.
And The Not So Much:
*For me, the ending missed the mark. I won’t go into too many details to avoid spoilers, but I will say it was a big letdown. There was all that buildup, and I kept wondering what would break the curse, and when it is broken, I was left perplexed. What was the whole point???? I could see the curse being broken on the second to last day, but the day it finally broke? Didn’t make sense. I also felt like the ending was too abrupt. I was left curious about how everything played out for Andie after her last first day. I finished feeling a little bit cheated. I wanted to know if anything she did actually left an impression or made a change.
*If you have never seen the original movie: Ground Hog Day, this book may not make a lot of sense or appeal to you. I would highly recommend seeing that movie before wading into this one. You also might be a little lost without having seen Pretty in Pink since that was always an important part to this story.
*The romance after all was said and done was lacking. It was apparent rather early on who Andie should really be with, and I kept expecting buildup and swoony moments, but they just aren’t there. I didn’t get all the feels I wanted.
*I guess after all everything, I didn’t like that the reason for Andie reliving the day over and over wasn’t easy to pick out like in the movie. Again, the ending was a miss in my opinion.
*I was disappointed that the setting of Punxsutawney didn’t play a role in the story. In fact, there was really nothing, except one quick visit early on to see the famous groundhog that set the story in the small town. Otherwise, the story felt like it was set in any town in the U.S.
Pretty in Punxsutawney was a cute and quirky little read with plenty of eighties nostalgia and a fun

Groundhog’s Day theme. I especially enjoyed that the author tried to make a point about labels, cliques and stereotypes. Unfortunately, the ending was a disappointment as it was abrupt and it left too many questions hanging. I also wish the romance had been more detailed. Still this was a fun book, if you are a fan of the Groundhog Day theme give this a go.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

I was immediately drawn in by the Pretty in Pink-Groundhog's Day comparison, and this did not disappoint. It was super cute, and really reminded me of those 80s teen rom-coms. If you're looking for a fun, fast paced, John Hughes-esque book, definitely check this out.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC for review!


I really enjoyed this book- the dialogue, the plot everything was really well done!
Highly recommend to anyone looking for a unique read :)

I received a free copy of PRETTY IN PUNXSUTAWNEY by Laurie Boyle Crompton in exchange for an honest review. Andie has just moved to Punxsutawney over the summer. The only connections Andie has made so far are with two guys at the local cinema. Andie is looking forward to starting her senior year on the arm of her summer crush. However, Andie’s first day is not what she imagined when she finds out her summer crush likes another girl better; she also ends up unintentionally alienating some of the other students. Andie, feeling her first day in the new school was a disaster, wishes for a do-over. When Andie gets her wish and her first day of school goes on “repeat,” she tries everything imaginable to get to her second day of school.

This book was inspired by iconic movies of the 1980’s and 1990’s, including Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Beetlejuice, and Groundhog Day. As a movie enthusiast, I enjoyed this book. If you are not familiar with these movies, shame on you! Also, you might not get some of the references. I recommend this book (and the movies).

#PrettyInPunxsutawney #NetGalley

This was a joy! It started out sweet, wet crazy and then ended very sweetly.

Andie is a funny but pure-hearted, bit sassy character. My favorite part of this book was seeing how different things would play out. As a reader of many books I'm always thinking well if this went different, then how would that of chanced and this book showed me how many of those outcomes would affect the story.

Andie and her mother are movie lovers, and I enjoyed how they played a part and influenced it. Andie is a strong headed, but she grew throughout the story. Labels play a huge part of this book, along with how people see us, versus how we really are. Seeing how these labels are pushed into this book was interesting, even with this book having the typical jocks, goths, geeks, and so on, Andie goes and leaners that each people are more than the label the fellow classmates gives them.

Tom was my favorite character, and for me made this book!

It's classic teen rom-coms is your jam then you'll want to give this book a read!

While not the most original idea, this was definitely a cute read. A mash-up of Groundhog Day and Pretty in Pink, it's the story of a girl who just wants to fit in at her new school and maybe get kissed along the way. You could kind of see where this story was going from the opening chapters, but it was still an absolute joy to read. Andie was completely lovable and the supporting cast were great as well. Bonus points if you have a love of 80s movies. Two thumbs up!

I love John Hughes movies, so this was a no brainer for me. So cute and fun and reminiscent of the 80s. I love this story! I'm glad I didn't have to relive my first day! This book is a good reminder of the perils and pitfalls of high school, and it's a good lesson on how to treat people and be in this world. Uplifting and engaging for young adults. It's a great read! Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge fan of everything this book promised. I love Groundhog Day (the movie, of course, but also books with this premise) and Pretty in Pink (and allll of the similar 80s movies). My grandfather was proudly from Punxsutawney, PA, so the setting made this even more interesting for me! I’ve been wanting to plan a trip there in his honor for years. My papa used to train me on how to spell Punxsutawney when I was SO young, bringing out an actual chalkboard like a teacher and making me learn how to spell it – he loved that town.

Andie had a looooot of cringe-worthy moments in the first section of the book. I got some major secondhand embarrassment and wanted to shake her out of her Colton-shaped reverie. (This is the guy she set her sights on in the beginning, when she first moved to Punxsutawney.) She was often judgmental about everyone she met in school on her first day, which made her a little hard to deal with at first. I was definitely reminded of Before I Fall in a few ways (and it’s one of my favorite books). The MC has to learn from her mistakes and become less of a mean girl in order to actually move on to the afterlife. She experiences the same “Groundhog Day” phenomenon, learning more and more about herself in the process. I had a feeling that Andie would do this too, even though she wouldn’t necessarily qualify as a “mean girl,” just someone who judged everyone so quickly based on clique-related assumptions. I was ready to see her grow as a character throughout the story.

Aside from those moments, I liked Andie from the beginning – she and her mom had a close movie-related bond that I really appreciated. It was fun to see the different kinds of days she had once she realized she had nothing to lose. She even took up about a MILLION hobbies in that time period, which was so funny – why not, when you have so much time?! I loved watching her come to realizations about high school, cliques, and being true to yourself. I think there were some moments where her inner dialogue was a bit preach-y and lecture-ish (like my invention of words there?) but overall it was sweet to see her learn. I hope those who read the book pick up on these messages!

The ending and the romance were adorable. I wish I could have read more pages in this book because I would have loved to see how Andie was affected with the decisions of that day…. no spoilers!

Pretty in Pink meets Groundhog day meets Breakfast club. This story has so many classic elements which are sure to make any reader cheer.
This book brings a lot of elements of the 80s way of life and I haven't seen that in books lately. The idea of replaying the first day of school until you get it right and the small things you can change to have a completely different day. It's well written and a hilarious room com any contemporary fan will love.

This book was cute and fun but it also sent an amazing message. With the way our society is today, we often miss the important things that are right in front of us. This holds true for Andie, she’s so lost in her movie induced idea of the perfect high school love and rom-com worthy first kiss that she’s not seeing things for what they really are.

Introduce Groundhogs Day storyline where Andie must relive her first day at a new high school over and over again. As Andie struggles to figure out what she needs to do/learn to set her world back to right she also begins to see those around her in a different light. Cheerleaders, jocks, goths, the smart kids, the theatre kids, and so on, she befriends them all taking the time to learn about each group and person individually. She is changed by these experiences and tries to implement what she’s learned to better both herself and those around her.

Andie has her up and downs. Reliving the same day over and over takes its toll. Seeing her being angry, having a pajama day, and just acting like a selfish teenager really helped to sell this story. I really liked seeing Andie’s growth throughout the book. To be honest, in the beginning, she came across as shallow and a bit annoying. I wasn’t sure I was going to like her at all. But she won me over. As did her over the top mom and always analyzing dad.

Through it all Andie, doesn’t lose her sense of whimsy or desire to experience loves first kiss. But as she learns about everyone around her, she begins to realize that the boy she thought was her Prince Charming, just might be that for someone else. However, that guy in the background? The guy she’s been overlooking? He just might be the one she’s been waiting for.

I really enjoyed this book and see myself giving it to my daughters to read in a few years.

This book was a mix of 80s classics Pretty and Pink and Groundhog's Day. If you're into 80s movies than you'd probably be interested in this book. The girl has to keep reliving a day like in Groundhog's Day until she gets it "right." This made the book rather monotonous for me. It started to drag in the middle because it just went on and on and the first day of school timeline seemed to be unrealistic. I thought it ended well but I got bored in the middle.