I would highly recommend this for book loving YA readers. I adored Amy and loved the literary references - especially Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter. Amy is a bookstagrammer and her cute reluctant reader is going to help her gain some swagger. Totally adorable and teens would love this novel and possibly be curious about some other famous books through Amy. A must have for a YA section in any library.

This review was originally posted on Struck by Stories (https://www.struckbystories.com/arc-review-the-bookworm-crush-by-lisa-brown-roberts-in-which-i-may-have-discovered-one-of-my-favorite-ya-book-releases-of-2019/)

WHAT I LOVED:
• AMY!!! You know that feeling you get when you just connect with a book character? Not only are both Amy and I super shy bookworms/bookstagrammers, we are both diehard fans of the romance genre! I’ve never seen another MC that likes romance books before, and I feel like it’s important to encourage romance novel positivity & acceptance, and I will NEVER stop praising my favorite genre 😍😍😍

* The #bookstagram & social media aspects! Did I mention that Amy happens to be both a book blogger & bookstagrammer???? This, above all else, was what immediately attracted me to the book (I mean, how could I, a fellow book blogger/bookstagrammer NOT read this book?) I especially loved how the author tied in many book world terms (like OTPs, HEA/HFN, #bookfacefriday, etc.) into the book as well.

* The fake-dating trope!! While not my favorite romance trope, I still have a lot of love for it! I especially enjoyed how Amy and Toff turned into a viral Twitter ship (#BonnieandClide) through the Instagram contest (and you know that I was right there with all of the other shippers!)


WHAT I . . . DIDN"T (**SPOILER AHEAD!!!**)
• While not a huuuggeee issue for me, I wished that Toff didn’t spend so much time being non-committal to Amy! It was clear at about 40% that he was in love with her, but he spent so much time in denial that I started getting the *slightest* bit annoyed with him.

OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!

While not a huuuggeee issue for me,

I really enjoyed a great many things about this book. Characters were fleshed out and the plot was well spaced. Some of the secondary storylines could've used a bit more page space but all in all an enjoyable read!

I really wanted to love this novel for the sole purpose of it being about a bookworm, but in actuality it was.....just okay. I thought it started off promisingly, but it quickly went downhill. I just could not get into the characters, except Dallas. And unfortunately this book didn’t have much of him in it. I found Amy so annoying with her overuse of references (that didn’t always go with the book to be honest), and how she was completely incapable of having her own mind without the hunky jock’s help. No, just no.

Another home run by one of my all-time favorite young adult authors, Lisa Brown Roberts. In fact, THE BOOKWORM CRUSH is her best to date. This spinoff of THE REPLACEMENT CRUSH features Dallas’s best friend Toff, aka Flipper, and Viv’s best friend, Amy. Amy is on a mission to win a social media contest and meet her idol, romance author Lucinda Amorrato. Amy totally bombs it, literally and figuratively, on her first challenge, and it’s Toff to the rescue. He helps her escape from the police after her yarn-bombing of a park bench goes wrong. While the two have known each other forever, Toff only sees Amy as Viv’s nerdy book friend, but Amy has crushed on Toff for years. She’s shy and socially awkward, but she’s not a pushover. She reminds me so much of my own teen daughter I instantly loved her. But if she wants to win this contest, she’s going to need some swagger, and no one brings the swagger like Toff. She enlists him to coach her, knowing how dangerous this can be to her heart. Toff has his own demons, though. His father is getting married again. To Viv’s mother. And a much a he loves seeing his father happy again, he isn’t happy about the wedding. He just isn’t sure why.

The more time Toff and Amy spend together, the more Amy realizes her silly crush might just be something more, and the more Toff wonders how he never really noticed Amy before now. She has a fire and a spirit he admires. And when she starts to bring that swagger he so carefully coached, well, he feels things he never felt before. Things that are as exciting as they are confusing.

Plot
The main plot is definitely the romance between Toff and Amy, but the contest is a strong subplot as is Toff’s future on the pro-surfing circuit and his coming to terms with his dad’s upcoming wedding. Told in dual POVs, we get deep inside both character’s. Every subplot supports the main plot, building tension, conflict, and complexity, making this more than just a lighthearted romance, though it is definitely that. But the subtle weaving of the subplots into the main plot makes this a story with depth. Each plot and subplot has enough contention and setbacks to keep the story moving and riveting.

The Characters
The characters are amazing. These may be my all time favorite young adult characters. Toff is adorable a clueless surfer, albeit a bit of a player, but he never leads girls on. Which is why Amy’s reaction stuns him more often than not. And Amy is everything. Not only is she sweet and shy, but also passionate and driven. When she finds her swagger, she also finds strength and determination, never willing to just settle for whatever her longtime crush is willing to offer her. He love of books and devotion to her favorite author is endearing, but watching her come out of her shell made her someone to root for.

Top Five Things I Loved About THE BOOKWORM CRUSH
1. Amy. She’s funny, passionate, strong, brave, and smart — everything I want in my teen heroines.

2. Toff. He’s cute, funny, easy going, and a little clueless, but adorably sweet. And when he makes the big romantic gesture, he goes big instead of going home.

3. Surfing. I’m no surfer, by any stretch of the word, though I’ve tried it more than a few times. But my former roommate was a surfer and the whole surf culture is like a time warp for me. The lingo, the life, all of it brings back some of my favorite memories from that time in my life.

4. Books. As both a reader and a writer, books are life. The book-centric nature of this story wrapped around my heart and hugged it.

5. Growth. I loved watching both Toff and Amy grow through the story. Amy became the fierce competitor she always was, and Toff learned to accept that life and love evolve.

Bottom Line
My favorite LBR novel and the best YA contemporary I’ve read in 2019.

cute, fluffy contemp YA romance. loved the book about books and authors parts and the relationship between the two main leads.

Such a sweet, quick read! Will certainly recommend this to a number of our young readers at the library. Adult readers who love YA would also like this title. A light-hearted read that captures young love.

As I hadn't read her other book I was a little shocked by some of the world building elements to the story, butfor the most part really enjoyed the simplicity and emotional nature of the story.

Romance with a capital R! Romance junkies shouldn't miss this. I love every minute of Amy and Todd's story.

Amy is the bomb. She totally carries the entire story and it's a joy watching her grow to possess confidence in herself and her abilities. Of course, Toff was there to nudge and encourage her, but in the end, it was all Amy. The potential is there inside her, she just needs to believe in herself enough to let it all out. She found her swagger. She gets top vote for heroine of the year, if there's such a category. Needless to say, the interview with Toff is my favourite chapter; I had it bookmarked to read again and again.

Toff, Toff, what can I say? Underneath his jokes and smiles, he hides pain and baggage. I love that scene at the engagement party; I may have shed a tear or two.

THE BOOKWORM CRUSH is one of my best reads of 2019. While this is book 2 in the series, it is absolutely not necessary to read book 1. Don't miss this!!

It's been a really long time since I've read a YA contemporary romance. Reading The Bookworm Crush makes me wonder why it’s been so long. From the beginning, this story and these characters had my heart. I can completely relate to shy bookworm Amy and her having a secret crush on surf-dude Toff. I swear reading page after page just made my heart swell more.

I honestly don't know what to say about The Bookworm Crush. I ship Toff and Amy so hard. Their chemistry is off the charts amazing. They truly bring out the best in each other. Toff sees something in Amy that neither she nor anyone else does. She’s fiery and has a passionate spirit. Amy is used to being in the background, the sidekick. Toff makes her stand in the spotlight and spread her wings.

For Toff, things have always come easy. However, his life is starting to change and he isn’t liking it. He freaks out when he learns his father and best friend’s mom are getting married. Amy is there to help him process his feelings and realize that his mother whom he desperately misses isn’t being replaced.

I loved that Amy and Toff became true friends with their physical relationship building slowly. There was truly so much to love about The Bookworm Crush. I wasn’t expecting to love this story so much and I definitely wasn’t expecting to cry. Lisa Brown Roberts has truly written a wonderful story. I look forward to reading more of her books. It should be noted that The Bookworm Crush has characters from The Replacement Crush but is a standalone read.

~ Favorite Quotes ~

“She was a bookworm, not a daredevil.”

“Books save lives.”

“I’m only part devil. The rest of me is pure angel.”

“When I say I’ll do something, I do it.”

“There are these inventions called books. I’ve heard they’re even better than TV.”

“It was always fun to read about the quiet girl winning over the sexy player.”

“Surfer + Bookworm = #allthefeels.”

“Amy was a unicorn girl-he knew it deep in his bones.”

I don't know how The Bookworm Crush got crushed out of my radar, but apparently it did until last month and aren't we glad this landed into my radar?

Because in this house, we stan books that are purely bookish, with references that will bring nostalgia on a nice and shiny platter. (My favorites from middle school! The OGs of YA I --!!!)

We also stan books with:
📚 a bookish protagonist
📚 seriously funny humor
📚 good roastings

Lisa Brown's latest novel has all of these. The Bookworm Crush is the spinoff to The Replacement Crush , starring Amy as she enters a competition to meet one of her favorite authors of all time. But as someone who is never in the spotlight, she's not sure she can win. If she wants to win, she'll need someone who can push her into the spotlight. So she seeks out the help of someone who a) is a local surfer, b) has a lot of confidence and c) unfortunately, someone she has a crush on. Shenanigans definitely happen as is the case with most books.

I don't know if I've worked this hard not to laugh at 2 in the morning.
Lupe can vouch for me because I've essentially spammed her with a million reasons why she needed to add The Bookworm Crush onto her TBR. Lisa Brown Roberts incorporates so much humor into her latest novel that it was really hard not to wake everyone else in the house up.

The Bookworm Crush is full of awkward moments, but it's also funny. There are two types of awkward books: the ones that are so awkward, it feels unnecessary and the ones that are awkward, but it fits and it's the good kind of awkward. But maybe it's because I'm awkward so I need validation. Amy is my validation.

The Bookworm Crush really incorporates a lot of the bookish community.
Seeing the different aspects of the bookish community represented throughout the book and incorporated brought so many feels. Although Amy focuses a lot of her time during the competition on bookstagram, she also has a book blog with her best friend, Vivian and they have a booktube. Lisa Brown Roberts incorporates the various lingo used throughout the community that fits with the social media age we live in and I loved it. I am screaming I am not fine I am definitely fine.

I adored all the characters.
They're just so lovable?! Amy, Vivian, Toff and Dallas have a really strong friendship (not so much Toff and Amy) and it shows clearly through their actions and dialogue throughout the book. Even Brayden, despite being a constant brat throughout the novel (but hey, sibling love, right?) will warm up with readers eventually. They're absolute cinnamon rolls and I'd hate to see them being thrown in a fantasy setting.

Sometimes they sounded a little younger than they were, but I personally didn't find that a bother for me. Maybe this is because I really needed a light and fluffy read that would make me laugh, and The Bookworm Crush delivered. I'm definitely not that demanding at all currently. We like catching a reading Sophia who is easy to please, not let's rip this book apart.

Overall
I enjoyed The Bookworm Crush a lot and I'm really glad this book slid onto my radar. Lisa Brown Roberts' latest novel is perfect for anyone who wants a cute romance with a good dose of humor and a whole of book references. It's also perfect for those who have read The Replacement Crush and want to see more of Vivian and Dallas.

This was a sweet romance book that will work well with many readers and fans of chic-lit. I thought some of the novel was too predictable and it seemed like a reader would really need to know their romance tropes to really understand the nuances of the novel.

Okay this was the cutest frikkin story. When a social media book competition comes up that grants the opportunity to meet her favorite author, Amy McIntyre knows she just has to enter. But the competition would require her to step out of her comfort zone, something Amy is not sure she can do. So she decides to enlist heartthrob/secret crush Toff to help coach her on swagger and confidence, two things she’ll need to win.

She wished she had the confident swagger of the US women’s soccer team winning it all or the courage of the Notorious RBG pumping iron and throwing down Supreme Court decisions in her eighties, but she didn’t.

Despite his zero lack of knowledge in the book department, Toff turns out to be an excellent coach in regards to amping up her confidence. He does not like to read any books especially romance novels, Amy’s favorite genre. Yet somehow, the two of them are crushing it with Amys entries even being re-posted by the publishers. Soon, they even start being shipped by the book community which leads to them forming a fake relationship. Amy knows it’s silly, the two of them have nothing in common, but she finds herself starting to slowly ship them as well.

The question was, how long could she pretend she wasn’t secretly shipping herself and Toff?

This was told from the point of view of Amy as well as Toff which I found utterly delightful. Despite having the “cool surfer guy” exterior Toff was a total sweetheart. Besides the growing romance between the two, this book also touched on some rather deeper subjects which I really liked. Toff lost his mother at a young age and now his father is going to remarry and he is trying to wrap his head around that and Amy’s competition turns out to be a perfect distraction from all his problems.

He’d been trying to rock her world. But he hadn’t expected his world to be rocked, flipped upside down and inside out.

The Bookworm Crush gave me all the emotions, from grinning like a fool, to tearing up, to laughing out loud. There are soo many bookish references and I really loved that the book community was represented so well in this. Recommended for fans of fake relationship tropes, bookstagram, and happily ever afters. I’m giving this 5 out of 5 stars.

A lighthearted story that takes on a few serious issues!
Bookworm Crush, by Lisa Brown Roberts and Entangled Teen, opens as Amy is sneaking around town at night. She sneaks out to decorate for a social media challenge so she can win a meeting with her favorite author. The winner also receives a scholarship. Toff happens to drive by as Amy is running scared because she heard a noise and falls. He stops to help Amy, not knowing that he’s Amy’s crush. Since it’s past curfew, a police officer pulls them over to question the reason they aren’t home. They feign a relationship, pretending that they lost track of time. Amy’s terrified of getting in trouble but Toff plays it cool and the police officer lets them go. Toff takes Amy home and her brother notices the two of them as she’s sneaking into the house. Her brother Brayden assumes they’re dating. This is the beginning of Toff having his eyes opened to Amy. He coaches her for the author competition and helps Amy build her “swagger”. His confidence rubs off on her and together they create fun, interesting social media posts. Meanwhile, Toff’s father is remarrying and Amy’s father is looking for a job. This lighthearted story takes on a few serious issues and character growth, 4 stars!

I was not the biggest fan of this, I just couldn't get into the story. Oh well, maybe her next book will be for me :)

Cute premise. I love the characters. The writing is a bit too drawn out for me. I'm not a fan of stuff that takes a while to get into. Chapter 10 and I was still having a hard time focusing on it. Took a but to finish.

I just finished reading this book and it was...sigh. I have been shying away from romances as of late - not for any particular reason - I still love them to death. I guess not feeling well had discouraged me from reading about... feelings haha. But anyway, some Tessa Dare books and The Book Worm Crush were apparently just what I needed to get out of the romance funk.

I absolutely adored this book! For awhile I was a bit confused as where it fits into...it's not an adult romance, but it's not entirely a young adult romance either. Perhaps it could fall into new adult...though those characters are usually in college and these individuals are starting/finishing their senior year. Either way - I enjoyed how very much their age did not matter because this book had so much substance to it. From the developing feelings between Toff and Amy to the crushing acceptance that people do move on (and deserve to). It wasn't just about love of a couple, but also of that between friends and family. Amy's brother Brayden provided many comic relief and he totally stole my heart toward the end of the novel when he stood up for his older sister. Ugh. Break my heart!

Most of all I enjoyed the homage this book was to not only reading in itself, but to the genre of romance fiction. Amy is a fantastic heroine - she has always known herself, but grows more confident throughout the novel. Amy is a character who knows her worth and she is so damn smart - I loved her dearly. She also made me want to watch Pride and Prejudice (which I currently am). Toff made a fantastic transition in the novel between a boy who acts on his impulses rather easily to a man who comes to understand his own worth and feelings beyond what he originally understood. What's better than a fun character? One who grows so that you grow to love them *swoon*

I recommend this book to all lovers of books and romance readers alike. There is definitely some intimate scenes and some steamy feelings - do with that what you will :)

If you’re a bookworm, you will absolutely relate to this one!

I haven’t read her previous book, The Replacement Crush, but I am about to get my hands on it!

The main character was a fun, bookish girl who is trying tot make it through high school, and of course, with all the romance involved! There are so many book references interwoven that there’s a reference for everyone!

She finds herself in a bind-up when she’s caught out after curfew secretly trying to find an epic photo for Instagram. She runs into the hands of her teenaged crush and a cute love story begins. It is a fade-to-black, lighter romance that brings the whole high-school vibe into it.

I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to readers who want a lighter, high school, relatable romance!

I absolutely love this book and the story of Amy and Toff. I was lucky enough to receive an e-arc from Entangled Teen. I finished it today because I couldn’t put it down. I love friends to lovers type books, it is my weakness so of course I had to read this one. The story mainly revolves on the two main characters but it also includes Viv and Dallas who are their friends and from the first book by the same author although I have yet to read that one. I added it to my TBR because I really want to know how viv and Dallas came together.

All in all this story has humor, romance, conflict, and a hot surfer who is a bit clueless about some things. We get to watch Amy and Toff grow more as friends into whatever you want to call them and then to lovers. It’s not easy trust me, but what is a book without conflict and arguments?

I relate to Amy A LOT. A total book nerd just trying to share my love of books but still feeling like I don’t belong and that I’m too weird. She’s still strong and fights for what she believes in when it comes to her personal life and the book world. She’s not afraid to be who she is even if she is still trying to figure that out.

Thank you Entangled and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Bookworm Crush
By: Lisa Brown Roberts

*REVIEW* 💖💖💖💖
The Bookworm Crush is a spin-off from a book I haven't read, but it's fine as a standalone. Amy and Toff-seventeen, young love, etc. Toff is a hottie. Amy lacks self confidence. This story is fun and engaging but predictable. I liked the bookstagram bits and what not sprinkled throughout the story. I think this book is a charming and entertaining read for the older end of the young adult spectrum.