I read a sneak peek of The Best Laid Plans thanks to Netgalley!

One of my initial impressions of The Best Laid Plans was that I think I would have enjoyed this had I read it when I was younger. The writing style reads as a bit juvenile, and does feel like a debut novel. I also didn't appreciate how hyper-focused Keely is on appearances, it makes her come across as shallow. I also just don't find the fact that all her peers know who is and is not a virgin and that every teenager in her school is having sex to be very realistic. I'm personally not from a small town, so perhaps that's why I can't relate, but I just had a hard time finding the situation believable.

I was SO EXCITED to see that NetGalley had a sample up for this because I had preordered this book and it should be coming soon (hopefully). I have loved what I have read so far and it has given me exactly what I want in a young adult romance. This story reminds me of the high school experience and how thankful I am that I am past that and only have to experience it through fiction haha. I’m so excited to get my copy in the mail so that I can continue where I left off!

Excerpt only.

The story is likeable enough and starts off with a party with consequences. Keely and Andrew are best friends since birth and as punishment for said party, need to find jobs. That is where the excerpt ends. I can see where the story might go and it is intriguing enough that I would pick it up to read the rest of the story.

The cover however is not the best I think. Yellow is eye catching but I think I would likely not pick it.

3.5 stars

This sneak peek has me wanting more ASAP! The first few chapters made me laugh and you can definitely see which direction the book is heading. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Nothing like a little Corona Virus infused insomnia to allow me to read this book all in one night. To be fair the book was just what I needed to take my mind off of all the stress and worry of every day life.

Its fun with a dash of delicious angst. The characters were realistic and so very high school-esque. This feel good romance is about one girls struggle to find love and being blinded by all things obvious (to us readers anyway). Every misstep along the way kept me glued to the pages and wanting more.

Read the first 2 chapters. Very generic YA with white people problems and token Asians. The whole idea of the plot which is having to lose your virginity because you’re the last virgin in your high school friend group is very old fashioned. The girl losing her v card at a party reminded me of all those 90s teen movies especially American Pie and Can’t Hardly Wait. There were so many characters thrown at you in the beginning who I didn’t care about. The friends to lovers trope is a good one but the execution here is lacking.

Good start to the story. This is just a sneak peek, first six chapters total. It's definitely a more mature young adult. Based on what I've currently read, I don't think I would purchase this, probably get it from the library.

I got the sneak peak to this book off of Netgalley! I love it so far and cannot wait to read more. The Main Friend group is amazing, I can't wait to see what happens to them especially with their approaching college plans. This is definitely a book that I could recommend and student would love.

I wanted to like this but it was so childish and just not my cup of tea. Maybe it'll work better for you, but I am so mcuh not a a fan at all. AT ALL>

Absolutely hooked! I already love Keely'e voice. She is real, honest, and hilarious. The writing is straightforward but not simple. The Best Laid Plans reads exactly like I'm watching it on film.

**runs to order a copy*

I got to read a few chapters preview and am hooked and can't wait to pick up the full copy when released April 7. The teens are very relatable as they experience the peer pressures of high school, but appreciate that the book takes more of a sex-positive approach. I enjoy the characters and their relationships so far, especially Keely and Andrew's friendship, and am excited to see how the rest of the story plays out. Thanks for the preview NetGalley!

I loved this sneak peek! I will definitely be ordering this when it's released on April 7 to see what happens next. Seems like a perfect YA romance for this time of year! The cover is lovely, the characters are fun and lively, and the whole thing is sex-positive!

“It’s like everyone else in school is competing to beat each other’s high scores and I’m still trying to put the batteries in my controller.”

4.5/5 stars!

I absolutely loved this book! It’s super funny, fun, and full of high school drama you can lose yourself in! It’s everything that I love about high school rom-coms, including really great commentary on how virginity, as a concept, gets discussed.

This book is about Keely, who’s just about done with high school and has her next four years lined up and ready to go. However, she finds herself the last virgin in her friend group and starts to panic. She doesn’t want to go to college a virgin, but the guys at her high school aren’t really doing it for her. So when a cute college guy, who’s just as into films as she is, becomes her co-worker, she becomes determined to lose her v-card. But the more her new relationship starts to cause turbulence between her and her best friend since forever, Andrew, the more it seems like Keely hasn’t been honest with herself about where her feeling lie.

Ok, so apparently I’m a big time sucker for a best friend longing for their best friend, but the friend is too oblivious to notice. I guess I had no idea until this book absolutely stole my heart and refused to give it back until I reached the last page! I could not put this book down!

This book gave me big-time high school nostalgia. Not that I ever dated in high school or cared about anyone’s virginity status. But a lot of the book places attention on how ephemeral high school is. And how, when you finally leave high school, you suddenly don’t care about all the drama that haunted you for so long. I really felt that in a number of ways. Keely’s friend group and all those dynamics were explored really well and really genuinely. I would have immediately flashbacks to people I knew in high school that made me feel the same way.

Keely was such a fun main character, though I will admit, a tad frustrating. Only because it’s so clear as a reader what she should do, but she is completely on her own to navigate really confusing icky teenage problems. Overall, she was fun and cool. I loved her love of film and Hitchcock. To be honest, I’ve only seen Psycho, but after this book, I might just have to watch a few more.

I also really loved the subtle feminism of the book. Especially with virginity being a hot topic of conversation, everyone knows that it’s this made up thing that shouldn’t matter. But this book shows why it still matters to some people, it’s about how you want to be seen and how you want to see yourself. In the end, all that matters is being comfortable, which the book puts a huge emphasis on. The book also does a really great job of showing casual sexist comments that are too commonly heard in high school. From the way that girls are treated and expect to be treated after losing their virginity to the way that boys put up an act to avoid getting teased. It’s really important stuff that the book goes over well.

Of course, it’s not all serious. This book has the cutest love story at the center of it! While it was slow-rolling at first, once the drama set in, I was hooked! It was full of humor, pining, angst, and misunderstandings. I never expected to love a friends-to-lovers like this, but oh well, there ya go! Andrew was funny and cute. I was rooting for him the whole time, even when I didn’t agree with some of his choices. He’s a sweetie, he can make a few mistakes.

TL;DR: Full of laughter and drama that will keep you entertained every second your eyes are on the page! It’s cute and sweet and it’s a relatable high school rom-com that takes you back. (only for the good parts, of course)

This was a great start to the story. I dislike that it is just an excerpt. I was into it. But not enough to buy the book to read the rest

I didn't realize this was not the full book. It sounds like it will be a decent story! I would prefer to read the whole book instead of just a small synopsis.

I was super intrigued and hyped for this book before I read the sneak peak. Now I am even more invested. This seems like a great story about all kinds of different girls with different experiences and so far, the main character is just SO EXTREMELY LOVABLE. I cannot wait to see what happens to her. I am super stoked for this book and cannot wait for it to arrive at my house. Thank you for this Sneak-Peak!

This book seems so cute! I can't wait to read more of it. I am a little hesitant that it could play into some shameful stereotypes of female sexuality (especially for teens), but hopefully by the end of the story it hasn't gone that way.

I am so excited for my preorder of this book to come in! Especially since I'm see that it's a sex positive story from early reviews.

After reading the sneak peek I'm definitely curious about the rest of the book!! I already loved the friendship the main character has with her two best friends and I'm veeeeery intrigued by the 'James Dean' character we got to meet towards the end of the sneak peek! So yes, from what I've read of the book I think this will be a perfect Spring read!

So because The Best Laid Plans is a sneak peek, I need to say what I feel about this book until chapter 6.

The Best Laid Plans turned out to be an adorable story and I really enjoyed reading the sneak peak. The Best laid Plans is full of teenage drama and angst. It's about a bunch of teenagers trying to figure out what they want in life. Especially for Keely. I couldn't talk much about this book since it's only a sneak peek. I will come back to talk more about her.

I can feel that this book is going to be really amazing. I love the writing so far. I love the plot up until chapter 6. I like Keely and Andrew so much and I adore their friendship. Other characters felt real to me so far. Danielle, Hannah and Ava are Keely's friends.

The pace is fast I didn't notice I have finished up until chapter 6 so fast. It kept me going and I didn't stop reading it. It's good and love the humour.

I need the full copy of this book. I need to know what happen to the new guy at their school. And I want to know more about Keely and Andrew especially.

I really enjoyed the sneak peek of this book! I love a YA romance when it is done right and this one fits that bill. I loved the positive self messages in the story so far and I’m excited to see what will happen next. I will definitely pick up a copy for myself on April 7th.

Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for this book sneak peek.