Sadly, I did not love What's Not To Love. I have enjoyed all of the author's other books, so I'm shocked to say this just didn't even have the same vibe. First off, Allison and Ethan are very immature annoying main characters. Allison spends half the book talking about how she is so mature, but quite frankly I just never saw that side of her. I love the idea of an academic enemies to lovers, as I will read anything with enemies to lovers. This romance just did not work for me.

Allison and Ethan are literal enemies at school, they are in every single class together, they both want to be the best, and they both want to get into Harvard. I felt like their rivalry was very toxic, especially because it wasn't just silly pranks they would pull on each other. They really did ruin each other's lives. I had such a hard time rooting for them to even be a couple because they spent 75% of this book hating each other and had no thoughts about maybe actually liking one another. Not to mention the cringeyness of when they did get together was laughable. It was very unbelievable because they are such a strange couple and I just didn't like it.

Honestly the side characters in this is what made me enjoy this book. Allison's parents were honestly great and were so funny. Jamie her sister was so supportive and just super nice in general, even when her sister treated her like crap. Even the driver's ed instructor I enjoyed learning about.

I'm sorry to say this one just didn't do it for me. Will I still read anything these author's write? Yes I will. I just think this one was written was over the top that it just wasn't a fun romance read.

Throughout all their years in high school, Alison and Ethan have this endless rivalry of one-upping each other in every class, every exam, every extra-curricular activity. With eyes set for Harvard, everything has to be a competition. Until their mutual distaste for each other evolves into mutual attraction while delegated to plan their high school’s ten year reunion... together. Could their newfound love only be a joke, a mere distraction, the biggest mind game to their academic sparring?

Absolutely perfect for fans of Never Have I Ever, the enemies to lovers component was spot on. However, there was more to Alison’s story. She had hilarious parents, an older sister with her own struggle of finding herself, a best friend with a false sense of relationship. And, the biggest of all was Alison’s own challenge of navigating what her heart wanted versus what was the smart thing to do. While the beginning wasn’t exactly quick-moving, I thoroughly enjoyed the second half and the blossoming romance between Alison and Ethan. Wibbroka did a wonderful job cohesively weaving all the details in the development of the main characters and the plot.

Thank you so much @PenguinTeen & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 20 April 2021)

SYNOPSIS | Alison & Ethan have been competing their entire academic lives from AP classes, extra curricular activities, community service and the school paper. Both dream of being valedictorian and attending Harvard, however it is extremely unlikely that two people from the same school will be offered positions at this prestigious college. Their school principle tasks them both with organising a 10 year reunion for a previous class which comes with a letter of recommendation to Harvard.

WHAT I LIKED:
- the conversation around it being okay to not have everything figured out in high school
- Alison's ambition & drive
- snarky banter & comebacks were on point

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- I liked the idea of an academic enemies to lovers story but for the majority of the book I thought their relationship was pretty toxic
- the "enemies" aspect of this story started to feel quite repetitive as they kept having the same conversations without making progress in their conflict
- the actual romance sadly just wasn't that compelling for me
- would have loved alternating chapters from Ethan's POV

Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka have done it again.

This author duo has been an absolute favorite of mine since I read their debut in 2018, and I always get so thrilled when their books release each year. So, I was already thrilled about their upcoming release, but my excitement doubled when I learned this is a rivals-to-lovers story! It's one of my favorite tropes and I was looking forward to see how Wibbroka would do it...and oh my gosh. I couldn't get enough of the competitive dynamic between Alison and Ethan. Their banter was witty, quick, and created an undeniable tension between them.

But, aside from the romance, there was so much else that I loved about this book. For starters, I love how Emily and Austin write perfectly flawed characters. While Alison was a bit judge-y to start, she was also someone who I could cheer for. Then don't get me started on character development! I loved the journey Alison took throughout this story. I thought her personal growth was extremely well crafted.

I loved the imagery and sets in this book. I normally don't consider the scenery in books in too much detail, but there are so many distinct locations that are stuck in my mind. I loved the chemistry in the kissing scenes, the coffee fueled late night studying aesthetic. I loved the school newspaper, Alison's family, and the competition for valedictorian. This book was Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka at their best, and I truly cannot recommend it enough.

If you're a fan of the rivals-to-lovers trope, banter, and amazing character development, then What's Not to Love is the book for you. It releases April 20th 2020!

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC.

Allison and Ethan have one main purpose in life - to beat each other at everything, including valedictorian. But their rivalry and obsession starts to lead to sparks in this enemies to lovers romance. These two are a delight. The snarky dialogue provides some laugh-out-loud moments.

This book also perfectly captures that stressful feeling that the rest of your life is being determined by every little decision your senior year, as Allison and Ethan both aim to get into Harvard. The past and future high school high achievers of the world may recognize themselves in the pages. It may even encourage them to let loose a little.

Allison and Ethan also end up planning a high school reunion together, which leads to Allison worrying about what her high school memories are and whether she’ll hold onto any of the people who are important to her now, including her best friend Dylan.

This is an angsty story about what it means to leave high school behind.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*thank you penguinteen and netgalley for this arc!*

what’s not to love is a book about two high school rivals who need to outdo the other at everything. with their need to be better than the other. they ultimately end up in the same classes at the same time. when the principal of the school decide they need to work together on the 10 year reunion for another class, they’re forced to spend more time together and end up falling for each other.

this book, to me, was not too bad! i liked the characters, especially because alison really reminded me of me when i was in high school. i had to always be the best at everything and didn’t want to show weakness when i struggled. there were times when ethan and alison would do something and my brain would just go OH MY GOD YALL ARE IDIOTS but, for the most part i loved them.

the story was really good too! the pacing of their relationship was just right but i also saw myself wondering when the book would end. there were times when it seemed like it was wrapping up but i’d be only 60% done with the book. i do know, though, if this book was any shorter i would probably be sad it’s not long enough.

all in all i really did like it! what’s not to love will be out on april 20, 2021! ❤️❤️

Read if you like: YA Rom Coms, To All the Boys I've Loved Before.
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This book was super cute. It revolves around two high school rivals, Alison and Ethan, and how they figure out that beneath the competition and hate, they might have feelings for one another. I really liked the competitive nature between the two characters, and how they sometimes realized that their competitions were immature sometimes.
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One thing that I would have liked to have seen more of is the relationship between the two characters and a bit more of the development. I still enjoyed it, but I kinda wanted a bit more romance!
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CW: mild sexual content, ending of a long term relationship.

This book is basically extreme enemies to lovers. In my opinion, it took far too long for the characters to warm up to each other. Their rivalry without any friendliness continues well into halfway through the book.



I desperately wanted to like this book, but I didn't particularly love the protagonist, Alison. The story is told in the first person, entirely from her perspective. I understood her and her motivations, but it irked me that she would never ask for help and let people constantly walk all over her. She struggles at a few points in the book, and instead of asking for help, or insisting that other people be held accountable for their commitments, she takes on more work for herself when she's already struggling. Ethan is not much better. He antagonizes Alison throughout the book, even when he can see that he's one step away from a breakdown. Their relationship is toxic.

WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE by Emily Wibberley and Austin Seigemund-Broka is YA rivals-to-lovers story following highschoolers Alison and Ethan. The pair have competed against each other in every way, and as they’re waiting to see which one of them gets accepted to Harvard, their hatred for one another reveals itself to be something else entirely.
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Seriously, what’s not to love? This book was so, so fun. It’s packed to the brim with smart, witty banter. I love that this story didn’t skip the rivals aspect of rivals-to-lovers. They spend more time as rivals than they do as lovers. That might not be for everyone, but it was certainly a lot of fun for my reading experience! The build up was great, and I loved the character growth. I was interested in their back and forth revenge every step of the way— there was never a dull moment. I appreciate how mature the conclusion was. It felt realistic and hopeful, and it was a satisfying wrap up. This story very much reminds me of TODAY TONIGHT TOMORROW by Rachel Lynn Solomon, which was one of my favourite books of 2020. If you enjoyed it as well, I’m sure you’ll love WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE.
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This was my first time reading a book by Wibberly and Siegemund-Broka, but I caught the Easter eggs on the cover design. If you’re a fan of their other stories, there’s a fun cameo waiting for you in this book!
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4.5/5 stars, WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE is available April 20, 2021!
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Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review!

What's Not to Love is a rivals to lovers teen rom-com following two overachievers who will go to extraordinary lengths in their need to beat the other person. Unfortunately this book didn't really work for me. I loved the idea of an academic rivals to lovers story in theory. In practice, I felt like the characters were so toxic and awful to each other, I had a hard time really rooting for them to be together. And as someone who does not look back on high school as the most nostalgic, pivotal point of their life, I couldn't really connect with that underlying narrative either.

I liked this at the beginning, but things got so toxic and extreme, I felt uncomfortable and just wanted them to grow up and treat each other with professional distance and basic respect. I don't know, this probably will work better for some people, but I felt this took the enemies part of the narrative too far for me to really want them together or believe they could have a healthy relationship. I do appreciate the (very true) message that you probably don't fully know yourself or what you want to do in high school. And that is okay. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a super cute read that I literally could not put down. Enemies to lovers with hate kisses in the middle of arguments? SIGN ME UP. I read this in one sitting because I related a lot to Alison and her academically driven personality. That was what initially drew me in and kept me reading.

Oddly specific but, Alison acknowledging the sheer amount of privilege she has was nice and I wish that had been delved into a little more. I do also wish there had been more diversity in the characters beyond just the one bisexual best friend.

If you aren’t a fan of cheesy ya contemporaries this definitely isn’t for you. But I am so 5 stars.

It took me a bit longer to get it than I would have hoped for, but the rest of the book made up for it. This book is that scene from early Suite Life of Zac and Cody where Ashley Tisdale's character makes out with Zac Efron and in between they yell that they hate each other. And honestly that is one of the highest praises that I can give a book. Again and again, Wibbroka does not disappoint.

DNF at 18%
I wanted to love this book, but it just didn’t work for me. The writing style was really good and as a whole it was well written, but a surplus of scenes in the first couple of chapters with vomit just were not great. The characters were also very unlikeable.
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CW- vomit
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Thank you to NetGalley and PenguinTeen for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This one just wasn’t for me. I am a big fan of contemporary YA but the Valedictorian enemies to lovers trope is not my favorite. I found Alison to be an annoying and condescending main character. I didn’t like the way she treated her sister. Sometimes Ethan and Alison’s fighting felt too harsh and mean to end up in a relationship. However, I did enjoy more of the last quarter of the book where Alison had character growth.

I am looking forward to reading more of Wibbroka’s backlist. This story just wasn’t for me but I can appreciate good writing.

<b>”Sometimes you only think you outgrew someone when really you let them go.”</b>

What’s not to love is a rivals to rivals with benefits to love interests, YA romance. On it’s very surface it’s an angsty read about two high school seniors who have been competing academically and in anyway possible since their freshman year. I swear I thought at points Alison and Ethan would start competing about who could hold their breath the longest. Anything and everything was a chance to beat the other.

We follow Alison as she dedicates her final year of high school to finally beating Ethan in their penultimate competitions, earning valedictorian and getting into Harvard. The thing is, at some point, the back and forth becomes too much and just as Alison is about to be the “bigger more mature person” some unnamed feelings come to light and yeah. You’ll just have to read to find out.

I think I enjoyed this story so much, because it wasn’t solely about Alison and her rival turned love interest. It’s also a story featuring so many different people in different stages of their lives. Alison’s best friend Dylan for example, is the same age and about to be off to college as well, but she also has had a completely different path to get there. She finds different things important and Alison sort of struggles with whether or not she should want the experiences she didn’t value as important. I like that WNTL explores how all these characters have made different choices and have had different experiences and some of them are still figuring things out. Even the adults that Alison aspires to have the respect of. So while Alison and Ethan are navigating the new relationship their rivalry has morphed into, Alison is also questioning those around her and wondering if the path she’s so sure about is actually a sure path.

All in all this is a good read. If you enjoy angsty YA with a lot of back and forth between characters, and some impactful subplots about coming of age and still figuring it out when you are of age, then you’ll enjoy this read!

𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙧𝙗:
What’s better than a friendly competition, especially if that competition encourages you to do your very best in school so you can always defeat your rival. For Ethan and Allison, this rivalry never ends- even going so far as to have them vying for valedictorian and a spot at Harvard.
When their principal assigns them to team up to put together a High School reunion, the two reluctantly agree- fearing what could happen when they are forced to speed time with one another.
But after all these relentless years of competition and tension, could it lead to something more?

𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬:
This was such a fun and quick read! Allison is a girl who has every minute planned, and loves to study and be the best. Ethan will do anything he can to beat Allison, even studying for hours on end just to win their completions.
While others warn Allison on how she’s wasting away her high school years on studying, she simply reminds them that it’s what she wants- and that’s all that matters, which I loved!

Allison doesn’t back down, not from Ethan or from adults who don’t know how to take teenagers seriously. She’s overtly mature, determined, and knows what she wants and how to get it. She’s great for readers that want a character that has no shame in being the smartest in the room, and one that knows how to recover from her mistakes.
I adored reading about the VERY slow slow-burn relationship that formed, though I was scared for a bit that all the arguing would lead to a place of no return.
Instead, the book turned out fun and competitive enough that you’re not entirely sure who you are vying for to win the latest competition.

𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣:
If you’re looking for a fun and fast read, with characters that don’t let a relationship stop them from achieving their dreams, then you are going to love this book!

((Thank you Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an ARC in return of an honest review

I think we all agree that Wibbroka is life. This book is no different. I loved Allison and Ethan's chemistry and how they came together to overcome their competitive natures. I enjoyed their banter and their slightly steamy hook ups, as well as the sweetness and hopefullness of how it ended. If you're a fan of their other books, I highly recommend picking this up next month.

I've always been a fan of Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. What's Not to Love just takes my love to a new level. What's Not to Love is the best enemies-to-lovers book I've read in the young adult genre.

The first thing I loved about this book is the characters. Allison and Ethan are interesting characters on their own, but their rivalry with one another is fantastic. I loved the banter between them but I loved the obsession they have with each other even more. But I also love the overall message that these characters share with the reader - to stop and smell the roses a bit. It's an important thing for everyone to remember.

I loved the romance in this book. While the romance doesn't dominate the book, I loved the build up. When they finally realize their feelings for each other, it's just a fantastic. I also love how they start surprising each other because they're so used to a certain kind of relationship.

I'm so happy with Wibbroka's newest book. It ticks all the right boxes for me and I'm just so ready for what's in store for them next!!

Probably closer to a 2.5 stars
The premise of this book reminded me a lot of Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon which I really enjoyed but this one felt like a very watered-down and bland version of that. Unfortunately, there was a lot not to love about What’s Not to Love for me (it was just too hard to resist sorry 😂).
The plot felt really repetitive and at a lot of points it seemed like the characters were having the same conversations but not actually making any progress in the conflict.
There was a lot of talk about maturity and the main character saying she didn’t want to come across as immature but it felt like everything she did was immature from how she handled different drama with her sister, her best friend and her romantic interest. I felt like she didn’t learn or grow throughout the story and that was definitely frustrating.
The romance wasn’t super compelling. I didn’t see the connection there and it’s supposed to be academic rivals to lovers but I just never really felt any of that tension or buildup. The relationship felt like it came out of nowhere and the story relied heavily on that plot line so it really made me not enjoy the book as a whole.
A part that I did like was the dynamic between Alison and her older sister. It discussed larger age gaps between siblings and the effect that can have on a relationship. My sister and I have a 7 year age difference so I could definitely relate to Alison and her sister Jamie.
I’m also glad that the authors chose to point out that not everyone knows exactly what they want to do going into college and that it’s okay if some people need some extra time to figure that out. I think society puts so much pressure on high school juniors and seniors to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives and teens and young adults need outlets to let them know it’s okay to be undecided or think you’re going to do one thing and then change your mind. I definitely appreciated that aspect and I wish it had been focused on more.
I really think this one had potential, I just don’t think it was executed well. It had points I did like but overall it wasn’t a very captivating read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I herby declare “Obviously” the new “Okay? Okay.”

I really enjoyed this book. Enemies to lovers will always be my favorite trope and this was certainly an extreme case. The tension between Alison and Ethan in this book was so palpable. Like a whole new level of tension 🤣

Ethan was really charming and I would’ve loved if this book was written from dual perspectives so we could’ve gotten to know him even better. I feel like he had so much going on and we were only able to see it through Alison’s POV.

I also really liked Alison’s parents and her sister Jamie. I feel like I could’ve really like Dylan, but like Ethan, we only go to see glimpses of who she was.

Alison was pretty unlikable. She was very harsh and judgmental to the point she came off selfish. Her judging her parents for their laidback parenting style, and her sister for moving back home really rubbed me the wrong way. But I’m glad she was able to grow as a person by the end of the book.

I will say, the rivalry was a bit much. Like I said above, this was a whole new level of tension to the point it almost felt unrealistic? And while every book doesn’t have to be relatable, I worry the extreme academic/road to valedictorian/road to Harvard plot will turn some people off. I was in honors and AP classes throughout high school and this was still a bit much for me.

Still, this was another fun book from the Wibbroka duo.