The story was great! The voice galley instead of a narrator, however, was not. I'm really excited to listen to the actual audiobook soon!

I thought that from start to finish this was such a fun read. This is a book where I think the audio book is a must. I think the humor in this book might not be as apparent if you were to read it regularly, and listening to the book bumps it up a notch. I think you truly feel all the emotions in this book. its fun, witty, frustrating, and even feel good. I think Gretchen lived the life a lot of teenage girls sort of wished for, where they could fly under the radar in some capacity so that they could be unabashedly themselves. Of course this doesn't always work out the way its supposed to, but I think Loutzenhiser does an amazing job of delivering that sort of second hand embarrassment in a way that just feels authentic and right. I thought that the romantic aspect of this story is messy and unique and I thought that it was fun without feeling like it unnecessarily was falling into any tropes just for the sake of it. I think this story and the characters the author created is a perfect example as to just how smart the author is.. and how funny!! She truly created this fun world that I thought I knew how it would end and then was just simply wrong. Sometimes I feel like I have sort of grown out of YA, and then there are books such as these that just knock it out of the part. Such a fun read.

What an adorable cute book!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5 Stars
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Gretchen has a thing for her best friend but she’s terrified of ruining their friendship. Then she accidentally ends up on stage doing comedy under a fake name. This allows her to work out her life and say things out loud she never has the guts to do as Gretchen.
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I loved the growth of all the characters! It’s funny and riddled with wisdom on what NOT to do lol. But totally realistic. It’s great to learn about standup alongside Gretchen and a particular twist got me lol - NO SPOILERS
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I wanted more of the dog - NACHO
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Trigger Warning with Audio: my only complaint about this YA is there’s a lot of cussing and I lost count of how many times they used the “F” word which on audio was annoying because u can’t gloss over them.

As the archive date of this title is soon approaching, I didn't have enough time between approval and archive date to finish this. I got about halfway through and am enjoying it so far. The automated voice for the review copy is very interesting, and I'm interested to hear the actual narrators and see how that differs what my idea of the characters are like. I intend to rent a copy of the book from my library or purchase a copy upon my archive date to finish it.

Thank you for the copy

4.5 out of 5 stars

I really love audio books and a great narrator makes the novel come alive. At first I wasn't sure how much I liked the narration but after getting to know the character of Gretchen I thought the narrator was actually perfect.

This is definitely the kind of book I can see myself listening to again right after Christmas which is when the book begins. I think besides the narration my favorite aspect of this story was the fact that Gretchen was in love with romantic comedies and basically thought that was what love was really like until she finds it in real life.

This is a sweet, fun YA novel to just sit back and enjoy, I think there a little bit of something for everyone here.

5 Stars. It's been a long time since I've found a book, never mind a contemporary book, that I enjoyed listening to as much as this one. Maybe it was because I identified with Gretchen on so many levels (I'm a 30 year old woman married with kids hahah you never lose the girl least likely part of you ) but every decision she made I this book I understood. Her character was so fleshed out and authentic, and because of this so were her relationships and the situations she got herself into. Will definitely read everything from this author

really liked this book, it was fun and easy to get through. the mc is a great character she isn’t the usually annoying i liked the side characters even more the main relationship was the best thing. the pacing and the setting of this novel was so good and just made the book even better.

Okay this was actually really enjoyable! I loved this book a lot! I was kind of unsure in a way, mainly because while I like rom com books, this didn't sound like something I would really be drawn to. But I enjoyed it a lot! I liked the romance aspect, I liked the friendship vibes, and I really liked that we followed this girl on a journey to really find herself through stand up comedy. I liked Gretchen as a character, her sense of humor was really funny, and very similar to mine. I felt for her when she felt like she didn't exist to her parents, and that it felt like her wants and needs were pushed to the back burner above everyone else. Especially with college coming up for her, and how she felt like because she wasn't good at anything or super smart like her siblings, that she wasn't worth the money to send her to some big college. I also liked that she was starting to stand up for herself with her sister and cousin. I like that we saw the life of a teenager, and this view felt so unique from other YA books that I read before. And while I still am not obsessed with books featuring stand up, mainly because I don't care for stand up comedy that much, I still would read this again, and I would really recommend this book. It felt so unique, so fresh, and so real. The friendships we saw were great, I loved the plot, the characters, the relationships outside friendship, and just everything with this novel was so fun and so real. I cannot recommend this enough! It was a really great read!

When the description compares itself To All the Boys and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel the bar is set high and this just didn't hit the mark for me. It was a refreshing new storyline with the main character Gretchen finding her voice in stand-up comedy but the rom-com part of it fell short.

PROS
*Gretchen's personal growth - I enjoyed Gretchen's journey of realizing and finding her talent. I see The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel comparison were she found herself randomly on stage performing and fell in love with comedy and throughout the novel worked on perfecting her craft.

CONS
* Gretchen was not funny - her stand-up fell a little flat for me. I didn't feel that it was at all interesting. This could have been that the ARC was a voice galley (created with a synthetic voice) and although the voice itself was good, it was missing the real life intonation. This may come across differently with a real-life narrator.
* Gretchen's age - she was a good age for YA, but not for the character. Maybe like college freshmen would have been better.
* The love interests - I did not see a connection with any. I think the character development of the love interests was just not there. I could not see the connection between Gretchen and any of the guys. I did not get a love vibe at all. It felt like just extra fluff that was added but as a rom-com they deserved some more attention.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio an audiobook ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this debut novel! A teenager girl learns how to come out of her shell by "becoming" someone else and learns a lot about herself in the process. The swearing was a bit much but eh, teenagers. Some of it just seemed oddly placed is all. I didn't care the romantic aspect of the book but I was all in for the comedian and personal growth! An enjoyable read. And takes place in my sister state of Maine! Fun!

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This audiobook is well written and the characters are described well. I absolutely enjoyed this author's writing style. The pacing of this story is great. The characters are enjoyable and entertaining. The characters are relatable. This audiobook is in stores now for $25.99 (USD).

Overall I thought this was a great book! I was surprised by the twists in the plot, and happy with the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Audio & Katy Loutzenhiser for a voice galley of The Girl Least Likely.

I love audiobooks, and anything YA, so this one was a great break from the thrillers I usually read. Even as a synthetic voice galley this one was enjoyable - so I'm sure the finalized audiobook is fantastic!

Read this one if you like...
⭐️YA reads
⭐️Rom-com tropes
⭐️To laugh while you're reading!
⭐️Stories about fitting in

This was a fun read! Basically, the main character, Gretchen, stubbles into standup comedy one day when stalling on stage at a standup comedy club. This was a funny read while also bring a somewhat serious read and (wait for it) there are several love interests, not just one. There's great, relevant conversations in the book, and I'll just say I did not see the ending coming.

I think if you're the youngest of your family, you might appreciate this book. If you've ever been a little lost about what direction to take in life, you might also appreciate this book.

This is the first novel I have read by this author. The plot is easy flowing and not hard to follow. The characters were well developed. The cover depicts accurate descriptions of Gretchen as her "everyday" person and stand up comedy alter-ego. It is difficult to recall if the male with the heart around him on the cover is Sam, Jeremy, or Ethan. This was a cute YA rom-com that I would recommend to my friends.

Gretchen has a problem. She’s developed a crush on her best friend Sam. And she doesn’t know what to do about it. Should she tell him? Should she ignore it and hope it goes away? Should she just grab him and give him a kiss? She has no idea. Up until this point in her life, dating wasn’t really a priority. But there is good news—it’s New Year’s Eve Eve, and every year on this night, she gets together with her sister and cousin to watch rom coms. She can ask for advice, or at least maybe find some inspiration in the movies she loves so much.

But then the plans change. Her sister and cousin decide they need to blow off some steam and want to go out to some bars. At first Gretchen feels left out (again, I mean she is still stuck in high school while they’re in college), but then her cousin pulls out a fake ID that she can use. With some borrowed clothes, makeup, and a pair of glasses, Gretchen is transformed into Sabrina, a sophisticated woman in her early 20s, and ready to go out.

While Gretchen refuses to drink on their night out, the others do, and when her cousin signs up for the open mic night at the comedy club and then disappears, Gretchen feels the need to get on stage and apologize for her disappearing. But then she goes on to say a few things, and it turns out she’s not only funny, but she can also be funny on stage. It turns out that the open mic was actually a competition, and she made it to the next round. She’s invited back to do it again the next week.

Or rather, Sabrina is invited back.

As the weeks go by, Gretchen finds herself enjoying the comedy. She also enjoys flirting with fellow comic Jeremy. But she also has to deal with high school, getting quotes for the yearbook and helping her friend who is getting ready to apply at Julliard, and deal with her crush on Sam. But Gretchen figures out that she can use some of these problems she has in real life for her comedy act. So her frustrations with her sister and cousin not listening to her? In the act. Her confusion about what to do about Sam? In the act. Her mother wanting to give the family dog a birthday party with a Gatsby theme? In the act. The quirks of living in Portland, Maine? In the act.

And it all goes really well. Until it doesn’t.

When someone inadvertently livestreams some of Gretchen’s act, she has to face the fallout of using her own life for her comedy. Her beloved rom coms won’t save her now. The only thing that has any hope of making everything all right again? The truth.

The Girl Least Likely is the latest YA rom com from author Katy Loutzenhiser, and it is strong in personality and in laughs. Her characters are smart and confident, the dialogue is snappy, and her deep understanding of rom coms is on point. Loutzenhiser’s own experience as a stand-up comic is clear, as she talks us through what it’s like to be on stage and how to write comedy that is personal without being too personal.

I really loved this book. Watching Gretchen grow through her experiences with comedy and just with regular life reminded me of growing up, or what I wish my experience of growing up had been. And while Gretchen and her family are big fans of rom coms and talk about them a lot throughout the book, I kept thinking that this story would make such a great movie. I do hope someone form Hollywood finds it and does it justice. If you like funny YA books with charming characters, then The Girl Least Likely is not to be missed! Read it as soon as you can.

Voice galleys for The Girl Least Likely were provided by Harper through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Have you ever wondered what Punchline would have been like if the characters were ages 17-22 or so, this book answers that. It becomes lighter and quirkier. And it is kind of a self aware rom-com. Did I like it? I actually did even though if you had described it to me like that I don’t think I would have guessed I’d like it. I don’t even like writing the word “rom-com.” Maybe describe her as a 17 year old Mrs. Maisel. That might have gotten me a little more interested. I love Mrs. Maisel. I hate romantic comedies. Luckily, this one does note the flaws and serious issues in a lot of those movies. But it still embraces some of those flaws.

The fact is that Gretchen is funny. Her inner monologue is actually funnier than her stand up. It starts out as a mistake and pretty soon she is in love with the idea of being someone else on stage. Gretchen doesn’t really think she is anyone. Just an outsider making sarcastic comments. Some of us can relate. It’s been a long time since high school, but it still seemed familiar. So, there is the misunderstanding that goes on too long, There are the friends she doesn’t realize she really has. There are the guys who fall into all of the boxes. Sure, it’s predictable. It is still fun and funny.

I did have the audio version and wish I hadn’t because I really like to hear the voices that my mind makes for characters but audiobooks are a great distraction when doing mindless stuff. I’m even getting use to the mechanical voice that some of these ARCs have. I just listen to them at a slightly faster speed and you lose a little of the lifelessness. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who would like a light-hearted read.

3.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC. This is a really sweet coming of age story about Gretchen. She is a high school girl who always feels like the one "least likely". She has an unrequited crush on her childhood best friend and 2 siblings who seem to have things that make them stand out more than her, until she enters into a comedy contest. She gets a fake ID that says she's 21 (not 17), but its a friend of her cousins. When she is on stage, she's a different person. She ditches the frumpy clothes for stage clothes and she uses her real life as material and kills it on stage. She meets Jeremy, the club's doorman, and they hit it off. There's also Ethan, her best friend (Sam's) best friend who she talks to about her unrequited crush. While this is a love square (ish) it never felt cheesy. I loved the character growth and development throughout the story. The whole time we as the reader, as well as the characters, know its likely that the shoe is going to drop, so when it does thats not expected to be a huge GASP and I appreciate that. Overall I thought this book was unique with the comedy element and I really liked the character arc. I would recommend!

SPOILERS AHEAD:
The whole time she is consulting Ethan on what to do and then they end up together. Cute and sweet!

"The Girl Least Likely" follows main character, Gretchen. Do you remember superlatives in high school? For example, being voted "Most Likely to (insert category here)". Well Gretchen is more of the opposite. While many of her peers are most likely, Gretchen is more of a least likely gal. One day Gretchen begins living out all of her wildest late 90s to early 2000s rom-com dreams. Gretchen lives out every trope from each of her favorite romantic comedies:
The Childhood Best Friend Trope: Gretchen suddenly finds it difficult to act normal around Samuel, her childhood BFF.
The Rogue(ish) Bad Boy: Following a good old fashioned romcom makeover sequence, Gretchen catches the eye of a young comic named Jeremy. Who has a sense of humor and an air of mystery about him (swoon)! Jeremy thinks her name is Sabrina, which gives Gretchen the opportunity to have the best of both worlds while she attempts to figure out what she truly wants.
If she has learned anything from binging romantic comedies, its that you can only live a double life for so long. Can Gretchen figure out what she truly wants before the credits in her personal romcom begin to roll?

I gave this book 3.5 stars on Goodreads. Until a few years ago, I read almost exclusively Young Adult books. I will always have a fondness in my heart for Young Adult novels but I do find them to be a bit cliche or trivial at times. After revisiting some past favorite books of mine, I have found that a lot of characters who I loved when I was younger had little to no character development whatsoever. While some novels rely more heavily on their plot, I think characters absolutely make or break a book. I would rather read a book with dynamic and interesting characters and a boring plot than a book with one dimensional characters and an interesting plot. Having both is ideal, of course, but if faced with a choice I would definitely choose the former. Honestly, I felt like I did not vibe with Gretchen at the start of this book. I felt like she was a bit too annoying and flat. I was proven wrong, though. Gretchen ended up being a very well rounded character. She was dynamic and was really well developed. She definitely grew on me by the end of the book. While this is a romance novel, Gretchen also does a lot of self discovery along the way. She becomes a really good main character.

This book was genuinely funny and was a really fun read. The characters, especially Gretchen, are relatable and provide comedic relief. All of the relationships between the characters were also developed well. As I mentioned earlier, this book features two love interests. If you read that and thought "uh-oh! Another love triangle", you're wrong (sorry to call you out like that!). Most books with multiple love interests create a strange love triangle/other-geometric-shape dynamic. This book is a little different because the love that Gretchen experiences for both love interests is a different kind of love. With Samuel, Gretchen experiences unrequited love and a very pure type of fondness for him. She has known Samuel for most of her life and already knows everything about him. With Jeremy, Gretchen is experiencing a newer and more unpredictable kind of love. New relationships are fresh and it is exciting getting to know someone better. It just doesn't quite feel like a love triangle, and I love that about it.

This Advanced Audiobook was in its beginning stages, meaning that it has not yet been recorded by an actual voiceover artist. Instead, the narrator was a computer generated voice, or as I affectionately named her: evil Siri. Like Gretchen, Evil Siri started to grow on me too. It was a little strange, I have to admit. It was not bad, but it was definitely a bit robotic and stiff sounding (but that is to be expected). I did still enjoy this book and would read it again in a heartbeat. For audiobook lovers, I think this book would be great once it is officially recorded and released!

Overall, I really liked this book. This is a young adult novel, so I think it would be perfect for readers 13/14+! If you like romantic comedies, I think that you will love this book!

I think this one gets my vote for favorite YA novel of 2021! The MC Gretchen is questioning how she fits in and figuring out how to really be herself. As a 30 year old it was kind of annoying that she doesnt see herself clearly and shrinks away from a lot of friendships when she is clearly a cool and funny girl, but I think it’s very true for a lot of teenagers and young adults. I love that it takes place in a comedy club and that she learns about herself through stand up comedy. I feel like that is such a fresh take with having a teenage female comedian. There was a big plot surprise that I did not see coming at all which is rare for this kind of novel. And for a girl who basically feels on the fringe of high school and family life she ends up with 3 potential love interests which was actually fun and didn’t feel too dramatic or like a *cringe* love triangle (or square?🤔) I was cracking up at a lot of her comedy skits and just her inner dialogue. This is a YA that will make you smile from ear to ear and I will be gushing about it forever more.

P.S. Gretchen’s mom and Nacho are the real gems of the story!