Kelly Quindlen made waves with her book “Late to the Party,” but her newest book, “She Drives Me Crazy” might just miss the mark.

Quindlen’s third novel features an enemies-to-lovers and fake dating story between Scottie, a basketball player still grieving her ex-girlfriend, and Irene, a cheerleader who wants to be taken seriously as an athlete. When the two get in a minor car crash, Irene is in need of some money to cover the expenses and Scottie (who just so happens to have $1000 lying around) is looking for someone to make her ex jealous. This leaves the two faking it for the whole school, but what each of them learn about each other breaks down the walls they’d built between them and leaves each with very real feelings and some very real problems to overcome.

Irene and Scottie both have a lot to offer in terms of relatability and growth. Both of the girls deal with feelings from past relationships that affect their ability to move forward with one another, tackling a problem not primarily seen in YA stories. Scottie shines in this particular part of the story, by learning what it means to love herself in order to love others. Irene deals with similar problems, though her main focus is on getting her parents’ approval when it comes to being a cheerleader and having the school view cheerleaders as legitimate athletes.

The problems the girls face though is, at times, frustrating for no good reason. When the book opens, they hate each other for no reason at all and that frustration stays for a long time. I found myself wondering how they could possibly grow to love each other from this point, and even after having finished it, a lot of the story seems blurred as to how they develop feelings for one another.

This also brings up the fact that Scottie isn’t always a likable character. She is the main character, so the story revolves around her and leaves Irene multiple times, but she’s simply annoying and unreliable at times. She makes decisions that should be obvious red flags and has so much anger that it was hard to feel sympathy for her.

Where the main character lacks though, the supporting cast makes up for it. Scottie’s friends are wonderful and know exactly how to pick her up when she’s down. Irene’s friends are also delightful and really add to the world “She Drives Me Crazy” creates. Although it is one book, readers will feel invested in the world and rivalry between the two main schools. The quirky facts about the town allow the reader to insert themselves right in or imagine it simply as their own town.

The Verdict
“She Drives Me Crazy” is a good yet aggressive Young Adult story that will have you cringe at times but keep moving along. It’s a quick read with wonderful world building and characters, even if the main one is annoying throughout it. Some lines and connections were too much of a reach which left me wondering how exactly we got from point A to point B, but it’s a happy ending nonetheless.
My final rating: 3.5/5 stars

Are you representing all women in your book reviews? To me it is important that everyone gets a voice and everyone can see themselves in a story.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars
My fave LGBTQ+ release April 21
📚She Drives Me Crazy by @kellyquindlen
Publisher
@macmillanusa @roaring_books @sourcebooksfire
Thank you also to @netgalley for my ARC that I sat sobbing😭 at my desk over Scottie and Irene ..this book was campy, fun, a little bit High School Musical, a little bit 80s throwback and touches on every dynamic of high school, first love , heartache, acceptance, and character development as we grow into ourselves.
After an embarrassing loss to her ex girlfriend in the first basketball game of the season, Scottie Zajac gets in a fender bender with the worst possible person her nemesis ( enemies to lovers trope!!) Irene Abraham. This gives Scottie an opportunity to get back at her toxic ex ,and gets Irene to play along as her girlfriend by paying for her car damage..did she really see what was coming?

📚 Five things I liked:
The banter ,the 80s references to Say Anything and Dirty Dancing , the mean girls who turned good, and the parents acceptance of both girls for who they were . There was no parent shaming, both sets of parents really were supportive. I liked the message in the book to be yourself, to strive for your dreams and to be honest. I liked the fact in a sea of YA romcoms there is LGTBQ in this story and they are also a mixed couple that were accepted in their school.
📚 Disliked: I cant even remember now..so buy this book!! I would read it again!
For those who love the reading challenges:
📚 #17 #Popsugar2021readingchallenge: same title as a song
📚 #11 #nerddailyreadingchallenge
Released in April

After an embarrassing loss to her ex-girlfriend’s snobby basketball team, things go from bad to worse for Scottie when she gets into a fender bender with her nemesis, Irene Abraham. Irene is beautiful, mean, and now Scottie’s carpool buddy for the foreseeable future. With the cheer captain in her front seat, Scottie is now thrust into the limelight and all the high school gossip. Scottie realizes this is making he ex jealous, and drumming up more support for her basketball team. When she overhears Irene complaining about the cost of her car insurance premium, Scottie devises a plan: She give Irene her savings in exchange for Irene to continue to pretend they are dating. What could go wrong?

This book is perfect for fans of 80s movies this book pays homage to, but who are looking for an inclusive update. While the romcom beats of the plot may be a bit familiar, the cast and setting are unique and dynamic, making the reader feel as though they too live in Grandma Earl. At times this did get a bit after school special, with characters talking more like therapists than teenagers, but overall a fun story with great messages of self love and community.

I really enjoyed this book! I would have liked it more if there was more time with them as a actual couple vs the fake dating couple but besides that it was a good read

It is so very rare that you come upon a teen rom-com that leans into the tropes of the genre in such a charming and sweet way without giving up on its more serious themes. She Drives Me Crazy follows Scottie Zajac as she recovers from losing her first love and tries navigate a shaky new connection with her nemesis, Irene Abraham. Irene is the queen bee of the school with not just being the cheerleading captain, but everyone seems to gravitate towards the gorgeous senior. Scottie and Irene have to work together after Scottie accidently getting into a fender-bender with Irene. Through their reluctant partnership, they form a sort of respect, then sort of friendship with the possibility of something more.

I loved that this book had no problems playing with a whole bunch of subgenres, and still managed to work. There's the whole enemies to lovers trope that is the driving force in the book, but it also has a fake relationship, and a sports romance that all blend together so well. But the major theme of the book is toxic relationships. Scottie is recovering from a break up with her toxic ex, but she has to learn just how bad her ex was. We learn that Irene is also trying to break free of a bad relationship, but the other person just won't let her go.

Of course, it all doesn't work without a great lead, and Scottie is one (even though I absolutely adore Irene). Scottie is a complicated, frustrating individual who you want to cheer for, despite her less than stellar traits at the beginning of the book. And the reason why I was rooting for her was that she was learning and growing throughout the book. She was even allowed to backslide a little because she gave into the temptation of being near her ex again. I think the book would have been good with Irene as the lead, but her journey would make this an entirely different book. She is already comfortable in her skin (with a few exceptions) and most of her conflicts is about fighting to get people to take her seriously. And that's where their relationship is amazing to watch. They just fit together, and play off each other so well because of Scottie's need to grow and Irene's solid convictions.

This was a surprise for me, I don't usually have high expectations for rom-coms, but She Drives Me Crazy blew right by them. There are moments where I thought it was a little too sweet -lookin' at you, Zajacs' - but even those scenes were fun to read, too. Great characters, well thought out and expressed themes and genuinely great comedy makes this book just about a perfect read for me. YA readers will adore this book, and I think folks who like romances with older folks will enjoy this one more than they think, as well.

*I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book read like watching a teen rom-com and I had such a fun time flying through it. Hooray for more sapphic rom-coms in YA!

Siri Play Drive me Crazy by the queen herself !
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An enemy to loves, fake dating queer HS romance , with basket ball . I mean, yes, yes, and yes ! This book reminds me of all the early 90’s and early 2000’s movies , this took me down memory lane. It’s such a cute story with strong friendship and family representation, everyone need a Honely-Belle in their life. I love Scottie’s relationship with her sister, it’s a Bond I’ve always wanted. If you love the movie Drive Me Crazy , you will love this story. It’s a super quick read super cute romance. I read it in one day while working from home. I’ve been reading a lot of YA and I need more!!!
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What didn’t work for me was some of Scottie behavior towards Irene . This might be a spoiler, but upon accidentally discovering that Irene was queer and in desperate need of money, Scottie proposition her . Scottie offer to give Irene the money, if she pretends to date her, which would require Irene to be publicly outed. It was blackmail. Scottie knew Irene was a hard situation and she used it again her. So yeah, that’s how Irene comes out to her entire community. That part didn’t sit well with me .

Fake-dating schemes get me every time, and the push and pull between the protagonists was perfection.
The perfect mix of high school sports, and young love, I flew through this story. I loved the characters, the chemistry and the lessons learned. I can’t wait to read more by this author!

I was so excited to read She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen! Thank you Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Roaring Book Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

She Drives Me Crazy is a wonderful coming of age/first love story centered around Scottie Zajac who is getting over her last girlfriend and maybe, just maybe falling for her rival.

She Drives Me Crazy provides a cast of characters who have depth and complexity. It was fascinating to be alongside Scottie and Irene as they wrestled their feelings and finding their place in the world (and with each other). Some of the side characters could have been fleshed out a bit more but provided fun moments of friendship.

This story gives a realistic look at high school (content warning: there is bullying and homophobia in the story) through a diverse cast of characters! The blurb says this would be great for fans of Becky Albertalli and I agree! If you like the Simonverse, you’ll love this one! For this reason, it might be a good one for adults/teachers/parents to read.

The sports element (Scottie plays basketball, Irene is a cheerleader) was another fun element to the story and I think that all readers will enjoy the friendly rivalry elements.

My only negative is that the pacing of the story stalled before the ending and the plot got a little repetitive. This wouldn’t impact my recommending it to readers however—it is definitely a worthwhile YA addition to any TBR list!

Scottie's ex, Tally, has left her brokenhearted and moved on to a new school, a new basketball team, and a new crowd. But even though she's gone, her hooks are still deep in Scottie's heart. When Scottie ends up in a fender bender with her nemesis and the school's cheer captain, Irene, it feels like adding insult to injury when she's forced to carpool with Irene to and from school. However, her new proximity to Irene gets Tally jealous and gets Scottie thinking... maybe there's a way to spin this situation to her advantage. Scottie concocts a fake dating scheme to get back at her ex and bring attention to the girls' basketball team (and herself), she just needs Irene to go along with it. Can these two snarky rivals fake it until they make it?

She Drives Me Crazy delivers the big romcom feels of the famous movies referenced throughout the novel (10 Things I Hate About You, Dirty Dancing, Say Anything) but with a queer and diverse cast of teens living in Georgia. Scottie is an engaging protagonist: she's confident on the court and yet not afraid to cry and talk about her feelings. She has so much going for her and yet she's still hung up on her toxic ex and her self image is warped by their relationship. This story, while propelled by fake dating shenanigans, is ultimately about Scottie reclaiming herself and working through her messy feelings. And things do get very messy but my favorite thing is that the characters work hard to be honest and communicate, even when it's tough. (Miscommunication drives me literally crazy so when I see characters talking to each other I have to shout about it!).

Scottie's heartbreak, longing, and crushing are at the center of the novel but these feels don't upstage the many stellar relationships. Scottie has one of the best families in YA fiction, she has a close-knit group of ride-or-die friends, she has her team, and she has Irene and Irene's quirky and adorable bestie, Honey-Belle. All of these characters were a delight to read! This was definitely one of my favorite casts of characters and each one brought something special to the story. I also loved the high school vibe; these teens are all deeply involved with their school and it was nice to read a fun and positive high school story. There is bullying and angst but the characters find ways to stand up to their bullies and call out their behavior.

All in all, She Drives Me Crazy is an entertaining and swoon-worthy story that just might have you blasting 80s hits in celebration!

I love a great fake-dating scheme, but when there is tension between two enemies as well, I am in HEAVEN! Scottie and Irene are enemies that band together and each have an ex to prove something to. Scottie has her ex-girlfriend and Irene an ex-best friend. The growth through grief and betrayal is so much slower than anyone would like, but it can be made more difficult when feelings for someone else changes everything. Kelly Quindlen is officially on my radar and I will be looking forward to more books to devour like I did with She Drives Me Crazy.

A frothy, fun YA sapphic romance! A quick read-- perfect for teens looking for a classic high school romance that's also gay! There's some scenes of teenage drinking and partying. Recommended for grades 9 and up.

She drives me crazy by Kelly Quindlen

Ahh just like The sky Blues.. this did not Disappoint! A sapphic Enemies to lovers, fake dating story between our Two main characters Scottie and Irene
(Our perspective through the book is from Scottie)

This was a fluffy Romance story yes.. but it’s so much more than that..Quindlen dives into many important topics.. one being Toxic relationships romantic and friendships and how yes at the time it may be like the end of the world and you don’t want to Break the bond you have... but once you’ve took the plunge, you can look back and see how wrong and negative they were in your life.

What I loved about this book too was this was a proper Hate to love story, we didn’t just get that part over and done with in 50 pages... it really was a slow progression for the MC’s and it felt really authentic!!

This is one of those ARCs I was saving for a good relaxing read but then I forgot the publication date. So of course yesterday I was SCRAMBLING to finish it in time but I didn’t have to worry. I was 70% through the book in one sitting. I only stopped because it was 1am and I wake up at 6:30 for work.

What an ADORABLE book!! The enemies to lovers sapphic fake dating romance to steal your heart. I am OBSESSED!!! I really was not expecting to fly through it that fast. Honestly, I think I should have slowed down to savor it, it was that good.

Scottie is dealing with a breakup and while distracted, thinking about said ex, rear ends the car of the girl who bullied her. Moms get involved and Scottie has to now drive Irene to school for a few days. Within these short trips to and back from school, Scottie and Irene are at each other’s throats with the cutting remarks. I thought there was NO WAY they were actually getting together, and if they did I’d hate it because WTF. I was wrong :))))

After Scottie proposes her fake dating there’s a begrudging sense of respect between them. Scottie was giving Irene $1000 for this. It was transactional but she was also parting with 1k which okay respect. Irene agreed to come out publicly which Scottie was surprisingly respectful about. You’d think a transactional fake dating thing would mean definite blackmail but Scottie was not about to out someone who wasn’t ready to be and that was very righteous of her if I say so myself. That’s evident in how Irene also starts to warm up to her incrementally.

Their relationship development really sneaks up on you, not in the “where tf did that come from?” way but in the “OHMYGOD YESSS” kind of way. It’s the little moments that add up and I think if I went back and reread, I’d be able to tally up all the moments that led them to changing their opinions of each other. It is SO WHOLESOME.

I also loved how throughout the book they really start to understand and work with each other through their struggles. They give each other space to learn and grow and heal, there’s opportunities to have clear heart to hearts, perform appropriately tailored grand gestures that shows one has paid attention and understood the other’s needs. It’s absolutely perfect.

I’d call this instalove but I have witnessed an even shorter timeline of two people saying they love each other so like I have proof it happens. Anyways, I am never going to call short love timelines bs again because lmao it really do be happening to people. Not me thinking the average timeline is like 2 years jbgejksrhejr

The book is also relatively diverse which is GREAT. Irene and Scottie are identified as queer with no specifications. While evidence points to lesbian I’m not going to assume. Irene is Indian, specifically from Kerela. The author has done a decent amount of research because the family names are identifiably South Asian Catholic. I mean, one of the Bollywood actors is literally named John Abraham so it fully tracks. I appreciate that even though that detail was mentioned in passing, enough research was put into giving Irene a complete character background.

I loved the theme of dismantling the idea of popularity while juxtaposing it with notoriety. It’s a fine line to tread but it worked really well with giving the so called popular girls at the school a well rounded identity. It broke the stereotype that so many shows and movies tend to build up with the “mean girls” trope.

Healing from a toxic relationship is also a central theme and I really appreciate the time given to that. Past actions within the book are reflected on and there is active change taking place to show growth and effort. It’s well done, if a bit rudimentary. That’s fine though, the fact that it’s acknowledged in this book as a part of the process of getting over someone who caused deep hurt is what I really appreciate.

This book is so sweet and so lovely!!! It frankly reminded me of Tell Me How You Really Feel by Amina Mae Safi and that’s one of my favourite YA Romances so it’s high praise. I loved it SO MUCH!!!

This book was such a delight!! Kelly Quindlen not only manages to portray an incredibly sweet love story but also perfectly encapsulates feelings of first love and heartache and navigating the world as a teenager. This is the fake dating, hate to love story all the sapphics have been waiting for and deserve! While Scottie and Irene were amazing characters, Quindlen also managed to make me fall in love with all of their friends. Daphne and Honey-Belle were two of the sweetest characters and Danielle became my favorite!! Their friends' side romances also added so many wholesome vibes to the story. Speaking of vibes, I got major Can't Buy Me Love vibes from this, and given that it's one of my all-time favorite comfort movies, I would not be surprised if I found myself rereading this from time to time. Safe to say I preordered this immediately after finishing the book. I truly loved this and I cannot wait for this to be out into the world so everyone can share my same excitement!!

Sapphic fake dating and enemies to lovers!!!

Scottie Zajac loses the first basketball game of senior year to her ex girlfriend, Tally. To make matters worse she gets in a fender bender with cheerleader Irene Abrams, the girl who got her car towed the year before. Their parents decide that they will carpool together until the car gets fixed.

When Scottie realizes that she people notice her when she is seen with Irene, she decides to pay Irene to fake date. Both to make her ex jealous, but also for people to pay more attention to girls basketball.

The ex nemeses become close in the beautiful tale of healing from toxic relationships, growth and self love.

This is also a beautiful book to pick if you want healthy friends and family relationships.

Tw: teen drinking, drug mention, homophobia, toxic relationships,

Kelly Quindlen's sapphic sports rom-com 'She Drives Me Crazy' has all the necessary elements of a bestseller:
- smart, and sometimes sharp, dialogue that keeps characters and readers alike on their toes
- well-paced plot with all the necessary pit stops for moral dilemmas
- atmospheric setting in small-town Georgia
- witty, quippy characters with bipoc and queer rep

Things I Loved:
I adored the dialogue between this cast of characters.. Whether it was Irene snapping back at anyone and everyone who dares to judge her, Scottie's heartwarming conversations with her sisters and parents, or the lightning-fast quips hurled between Irene and Scottie...the dialogue contributes SO MUCH to the palpable tension throughout this novel.

The tropes in 'She Drives Me Crazy' are so well done! Here are my faves:
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity/only one bed
- cheerleader and basketball player romance
- fake dating scheme

The nuanced conversations regarding race and prejudice! I loved the sly little commentaries made by Irene and other characters (towards Scottie in particular) that called out Scottie's privilege and called her in at the same time. While Scottie is certainly a member of The Community, she is often the first one to cast judgments or make foot-in-mouth comments about communities that she is not, in fact, a member of. For example, Irene, her nemesis, is not only the only BIPOC cheerleader on the squad, she's also the ONLY cheerleader competing for the coveted Student-Athlete of the Year award at their high school. Scottie learns so much about being an ally through tough conversations with Irene and others about checking her privilege at the door and recognizing others' struggles.

Summary:
“A little sweet, a little sharp.” —Booklist, starred review

High school nemeses fall in love in Kelly Quindlen's She Drives Me Crazy, a queer YA rom com perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Casey McQuisten.

After an embarrassing loss to her ex-girlfriend in their first basketball game of the season, seventeen-year-old Scottie Zajac gets into a fender bender with the worst possible person: her nemesis, Irene Abraham, head cheerleader for the Fighting Reindeer.

Irene is as mean as she is beautiful, so Scottie makes a point to keep her distance. When the accident sends Irene’s car to the shop for weeks’ worth of repairs and the girls are forced to carpool, their rocky start only gets bumpier.


But when an opportunity arises for Scottie to get back at her toxic ex—and climb her school’s social ladder—she bribes Irene into an elaborate fake- dating scheme that threatens to reveal some very real feelings.

From author Kelly Quindlen comes a new laugh-out-loud romp through the ups and downs of teen romance, perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli.

I really enjoyed reading this one. Love a high school rom com! Super fun and definitely a good addition to any collection.

She Drives Me Crazy, by Kelly Quindlen, is one of those books that's just...okay. It isn't terrible, but it isn't great - it's not, frankly, a book that will stick around in my brain very long.

I love enemies to lovers AND fake dating tropes in romances, so both in one story should be *chef's kiss* - but I found the execution of these tropes a little ham-fisted. The set-ups to make plot points happen were often a stretch at best, and the dialogue bordered on clunky in several places. I did like the main characters, basketball-playing protagonist Scottie and her nemesis/love interest, cheerleader Irene. They did genuinely have good chemistry, even when the plot got heavy-handed. And I liked Scottie's BFF, insecure overachiever Danielle. Too many besties in YA romances like this are forgettable, only there to listen to the protagonist's problems, without much personality of their own, but Scottie was actually a halfway decent friend and helped Danielle out with her own issues as well, which meant we got to actually read about said issues. Other side characters, though? Not my favorites. Scottie's family, specifically, felt like cardboard cutouts designed to be quirky, yet without actually being so, a complaint I had about the town as a whole. The idea that the whole town is Christmas-themed (for historical, town-founding reasons) just...didn't amuse me. And everything felt like it was trying too hard to be aggressively wacky, in supposed contrast to uptight, bougie, shallow Candlehawk (think Parks and Rec's Pawnee vs. Eagleton)...but the comparisons were inconsistent, the wackiness never landed, and it all just felt unnecessary and unfunny.

When it comes down to it, that ends up being my biggest problem with the book - I felt like I was being told "laugh here" when I didn't want to laugh, or "this plot moment makes sense" when it didn't make sense. Piece after piece of the story simply didn't land for me. It isn't like this book was terrible - it just didn't work...at least for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Book Press for the advance review copy.

She Drives Me Crazy is a sapphic enemies-to-lovers and fake dating contemporary YA sports romance. Try saying that 5x fast.

Thoughts:
This book was fun. It was sporty. It was campy. It was young and hopeful. It was sometimes cheesy, but also so very sweet and covered real topics too. I love YA books with Big Feelings. They remind me that it’s ok to have them.

I was no where near amazing at basketball but I loved it for a long time growing up. Swipe for pics (I’m icing my eye in the last one because I took a shoulder to the eye. I had a GNARLY black eye for over a month after that.) I loved seeing a sports romance between two young female athletes instead of a male athletes and female sports fan who’s ~not like the other girls~

I loved that this story covered more serious topics, especially relating to toxicity in queer relationships. It’s important for young queer people to know that they are not exempt from emotional abuse or toxic relationships just because they’re in a same-sex and/or queer relationship.

I will flag that there was a lot of racial diversity amongst the characters, but some felt more fleshed out than others.

Read if you like: young adult sports romances, books with redhead leads (@readwithchelsea), sapphic rom coms

⚠️TWs: toxic relationships, bullying, homophobia