I really really liked this Enemies with benefits storyline. While the heroine was a tad annoying with her perfectionist mindset I think she showed just the right amount of growth to be believable for a HS senior.

Thank you NetGalley and dreamscape media for this audiobook copy of Whats Not to Love by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka!

Alison is an overachiever, a classic type a personality, I mean she literally has a white board in her bedroom with all her tasks, school assignments, etc. Point Alison. However, she also has an enemy, Ethan, a constant pain trying to one up her at every chance he can. Point Ethan.

When the principal puts these to know it alls in charge of planning a high school reunion, a war begins. Each one thinks they know best, but along the way they find out they may be the best for each other.

This is just the cute and silly ya romance that I LOVE. Alison and Ethan are some lovable. I cared about the side characters and they journey they went on (I mean literally rooting for Dylan to break up with Olivia 🙄) I think this just solidified that I’ll read anything they write!!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for providing an ALC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is my second book by the husband and wife literary team Wibbroka, and I really enjoyed it.

Genre: YA romance, coming of age
Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Alison Sanger has clear goals: become valedictorian, get into Harvard, and get away from her nemesis Ethan Molloy. They share all the same classes and extracurriculars, and their competition is so intense that Alison comes to school with food poisoning to avoid missing a test. Things get even hairier as these enemies are forced to plan their high school's reunion celebration. As they work together, will love blossom?

I went to an competitive high school, so this book was a great trip down memory lane! Alison and Ethan definitely reminded me of my classmates and the intense vibe of high school. This book is marketed as YA romance, and I did enjoy the enemies-to-lovers story, but I think it's stronger as a coming of age story. Alison has been on the overachieving path her whole life, and I enjoyed seeing her learn more about the world outside academics. I loved her relationship with her older sister, who was undergoing major life changes after quitting her job and breaking up with her fiance.

I was a little surprised that the book was told solely from Alison's perspective, but I ended up enjoying being fully in her head and feeling her uncertainty about Ethan's thoughts and intentions. Narrator Elizabeth Cottle did a great job portraying Alison's teenage voice - it felt very age-appropriate and fitting with the story.

If you're looking for high school nostalgia, I definitely recommend this book!

This was a really good YA romance! I loved the fast pace of the book and that Allison and Ethan have such intense competition between them. The character development was really good, too. I think the only thing I didn't love was that the main romance wasn't fully gradual. It felt like a really quick transition from hate to like, but then again, I've never experienced what the main lovebirds experience in the book, so I have no idea if that transition is normal or not. I love that they were able to work previous titles from these authors into the book cover so seamlessly, too! You only notice it after looking closely at the shelves.

This was a perfect enemies to lovers YA romance! It took the “enemies” part to levels not often seen in romance—Alison and Ethan really felt like each other’s nemeses and their surprise at their ultimate feelings for each other felt so real. I would have found the story of go-getters like these two so relatable as a high schooler and I like the way we saw their individual journeys to figure their post high school selves out alongside their romance. A fun, funny romance with just the right amount of depth!

Narrator Elizabeth Cottle reflects the youthful voice of high schooler Alison Sanger. Sanger is a girl you’ll likely hate and then come to love. After all, the first half of the book is all about her maniacal focus on becoming valedictorian and getting into Harvard. She obsesses over beating out Ethan, her arch nemesis. Then she starts to grow up and the story improves immensely. Suddenly, Sanger discovers that life is not all about winning and competition. But boy oh boy, did I want to DNF this for quite a while.

I’m glad Sanger sees the light of day. There are several redeeming side stories that bring her around, including her sister coming home after college to “find” herself. And Sanger’s best friend is in a queer relationship. YAY. I appreciate that this YA novel includes an LGBTQ theme, which represents today’s high school existence. (Unlike mine)! Sanger and Ethan’s hateship-turned-love interest reminded me of all the TV shows and movies of years past where two people cannot stand each other. And then they end up ripping their clothes off.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy of this audiobook via the NetGalley app. This is my honest review.

2.5 Stars

Amanda and Ethan have been rivals for everything throughout high school: grades, standardized test scores, student government positions, and college admissions. Their competition keeps them both up at night, gets them up in the morning, and pushes them to shrug off silly things like sleep and fun just to make sure they don't fall behind. Teachers, other students, and even the principal stay away from them and their toxic rivalry. Amanda and Ethan HATE each other, and it fuels them to be the best they can be so they can WIN. But when they're paired together to plan their school's 10-year reunion for alumni, things start to change. Suddenly, the things they thought they despised about each other don't actually seem all that bad. And the idea of a future together at Harvard if they were both able to get in doesn't horrify them nearly as much as they always thought it would. Maybe this hatred they've been nurturing all these years was really something else all along.

These authors know how to write. Their dialogue is sharp and snappy, and the characters are smart and introspective. However, even though I really wanted to like this book based on how good the writing is, it just didn't work for me. Amanda is just the worst. She's judgy, she's a know-it-all, she whines about not being taken seriously because of her young age but then acts like an immature child most of the time. She tells everyone what to think, she believes she's much smarter than everyone else and that they need her help to figure out their own feelings and motivations, but she's also completely clueless about her own shortcomings and where she could stand to grow a little. UGH. It was impossible to root for her to get together with Ethan (even though the "we're fighting, no wait, we're kissing" scenes were still pretty hot) because I just couldn't wish Amanda on anyone. Ethan was better, though we didn't get to know him nearly as well (the book is written from only Amanda's POV....I wish we had seen Ethan's because it might have balanced her abrasiveness a little). The supporting characters are fun, though. I really liked Amanda's parents, as well as her sister, Jamie.

The other big issue that I had with this book was that the "lovers" part of this enemies-to-lovers story came out of nowhere and felt entirely unbelievable. These two aren't just enjoying snarking at each other to cover up their deeper feelings. They are truly hateful to each other. They intentionally sabotage each other's projects, and they spend all their time thinking up ways to make the other person miserable. The teachers and other students avoid them because they truly are toxic. It's not cute, you're not just waiting for them to figure it out...because it seems like the last thing that would ever happen. So when it does, it feels forced and fake. It's the opposite of most enemies-to-lovers stories, where the enemies part is just a cover for their real feelings. The believable feelings here are the hatred and animosity, and it wasn't even fun to read about because the really seemed to be giant jerks to each other and love doing it. Yuck.

So, while I love these authors and continue to be impressed with their writing, this book wasn't my favorite of theirs. I hope they are able to go back to their feel-good romances like Always Never Yours and If I'm Being Honest, because those were a lot more fun.

PS. I *did* enjoy the audiobook narrator here. Her tone was fun and she voiced the different characters well.

**Thank you to NetGalley and DreamScape Media for the Audio ARC in exchange for my honest review!**

4 stars

What's Not to Love is a fun throwback to the highs and lows of high school. complete with overachieving leads and a healthy dose of nostalgia. Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka get great mileage out of the enemies-to-lovers trope and I applaud their ability to really dig into the social and mental whirlwind that comes with heading off to college. I would have loved a little more of a slow burn with the central relationship (it really doesn't start to heat up until over 50% into the book), but the authors were balancing so many other narratives that I completely understand why they wrote it that way. I found myself multiple times sitting down to listen to "just one more chapter" only to find that I had spent an hour in the hallways of Fairview High. Honestly, can you ask for anything more from a book?

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review!

2/5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing this audiobook-arc.

I didn't know what to expect going into this audiobook. The execution was fine. There were some inconsistencies tho, the tones of the voice being of different registers. On the other hand, I didn't mind the writing. Not bad but not the best at the same time. Now let's get to the story.

We read this from Alison's pov. I'm going to get this out of the way: she's a cunt. To be fair, she's a bit like me but I lack the dedication she possesses. All she thinks about is school, beating Ethan Mulloy....in school and sometimes she occupies her mind with the only friend she has.

Speaking of, poor woman. I mean who names their daughter Dylan? Second, she's bisexual. We love that!.....Well...She doesn't have the most fabulous character development. She doesn't start well, with her not getting over her ex yet, dating a guy who questions her past queer relationship and an unnecessary piece of dialogue where she over-sexualizes a character we don't even recognize. She then finally relieves herself off of a specific burden but only to move forward our annoying protagonist's story. Which I suppose is the point of this whole book which I can't the authors for.

Before concluding the rant with fully trashing Alison, let's talk about Ethan........If there's anything to talk in regards to him that is. He's passive. That's it. He's smart, not the most likeable, white....that's it. A huge chunk of his actions depend on Alison. And of course he starts changing just in order for Alison to feel relief and no sense of burden.

*sigh* Here we go. Alison isn't likeable. She doesn't care about anybody but herself, putting everyone around her to the self-made standard she made that isn't that achievable. She treats her sister, that's currently in a mid 20s crisis, like shit just because shes not doing the same girlboss moves that Alison does. Alison point out her various points of hypocrisy in the book. Does anything happen? Not really. Things just get brushed off and she doesn't change. Heck, the people around her change in favour of her own tastes, even if it isn't the most right thing in the situation

Also this book isn't exempt of criticism just because of its market range. All teenagers aren't cunts. Some are, and I suppose that's valid. But at the same time I won't hesitate to critique novels of this kind when other various voices aren't being given the opportunity to flourish. I have to give merit where it's due so I guess thanks to the author for making a book that made me write this much due to various negative emotions

Okay. I want to know who gave Emily and Austin a look into my high school life. Or large chunks of it at any rate. While I couldn't say that I was going to an Ivy or had the potential for a HEF/HEA with my nemesis, I could not help but feel like I was listening to an alternate experience heading into college.
Ethan and Alison are constantly stepping over the other in their need to be the best. Their rivalry is epic and yet now they have to work together on another class's reunion to get a recommendation letter to Harvard. When Alison's enemy becomes her frenemy, she's bound to struggle with the paradigm shift.
The narrator, Elizabeth Cottle, has a great voice for a YA read and fit Alison's POV to a T. Her intonation led to more relatability and a trip down memory lane.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.

This one did not work for me at all. The rivalry just seemed too toxic for me and the way they both fell into a relationship in the midst of the rivalry was not my speed. I've read and loved several enemies-to-lovers YA stories but this didn't work for me. I also wish we'd heard more from the male protagonist, but that did not happen. The narrator, however, was excellent.

I usually really enjoy books from these authors. What's not to love has all the tropes I enjoy. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorites. With all that being said I found this to be very slow, my attention drifted often. I did enjoy the characters and the ending was great. The ending felt true to a real high school senior.

The narration was fantastic. She never disappoints. I think it added to the story. I would have even loved a dual perspective. I can just imagine how good the audio would have been.

All in all it was a solid 3 star read.

I think that I have aged out of enjoying and appreciating young adult romance for what it is. As much as I enjoyed the writing and love the tropes within this novel, I just found myself feeling uninterested. I know that's an absolutely bias reason to not rate this higher. I just did not like either love interest and I really did not enjoy Alison's voice.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Definitely not my favorite of their books, the romance felt a bit forced and I did not find the backstory as compelling. However, everything they write is cute enough and this certainly did the job. 3.5 rounded up

This was a simple somewhat fun but annoying read (at times). I normally like YA but the two main characters were just a little too annoying at times. The back and forth started out fun but after a while got old. The read was still cute though so I think I would give this author another shot.

Okay, so brutal honestly? This book is incredibly predictable. There is not a single thing that takes place that I was not 100% expecting.
Also honest? I enjoyed every second of it. There's a reason why the plot is a cliché. It's comfortable, familiar, and entertaining.
Alison and Ethan are textbook overachievers and seeing Alison finally realize that there are more ways to look at things than she's used to makes a great coming-of-age story. Not to mention that there's so much witty banter. I loved everything about how Alison and Ethan interact. The way they push each other to do better even after the inevitable realization, even with the stress of it, made for some rather romantic first-love interactions.
It brought back not just the stress of being an overachiever in High School, but it also made me think back fondly on those times. As I said, it's a story that I've read 100 times before, but there's a reason I've read it so many times. Plus, it's well-written, witty, and entertaining. What's not to love? ​

Narrator Elizabeth Cottle does a fantastic job of bringing Alison's slightly neurotic doubts and excitement to life. Not only Alison's parts, she conveys each character and emotion perfectly. I'm partly convinced that I'm rating this a bit higher than I probably would if I'd read it just because I enjoyed her work so much.

Many happy thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the listen

What's Not to Love by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegmund-Broka follows high school senior Alison Sanger and her rivalry with Ethan Molloy. If Alison could avoid Ethan until graduation, she would. Except, naturally, for two over-achieving seniors with their sights on valedictorian and Harvard, they share all the same classes and extracurriculars. So when their school’s principal assigns them the task of co-planning a previous class’s ten-year reunion, with the promise of a recommendation for Harvard if they do, Ethan and Alison are willing to endure one more activity together if it means beating the other out of the lead.

I love Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegmund-Broka's books. Each book always leaves me smiling over the cuteness and wild antics of it's cast of characters. This book was no exception. I will say Alison often comes across irritating especially in regards to how she treats her sister. Overall, this book was a delight! I also really enjoyed the narration of the audiobook.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Allison and Ethan are constantly competing. Who wouldn’t when you’re in all the same classes and extracurriculars for years? As they near graduation, they are given one final project to work on together - with the promise of written recommendations once it’s completed, of course. It’s no secret that they’re obsessed with each other, but with their tension reaching a boiling point, could it be more?

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of the audiobook to review (thanks NetGalley and Dreamscape Media!) and overall, I enjoyed it! They really nailed the casting with the narrator - Elizabeth Cottle’s voice really fit Allison, and sounded young and full of expression. Audiobooks definitely hinge on their narrators, and she gets a thumbs up from me!


While this has some of the same vibes as The Hating Game, it is definitely for a younger audience. In general, I’m also a pretty easygoing person, and since schools aren’t as competitive here in Canada(at least the ones I went to!), I can’t relate to the endless pressure that Allison and Ethan put themselves under. It’s no wonder they don’t have time to have much fun with how packed their schedules are!

I love books set in high school because I didn’t experience drama in my own life, so this gave me a healthy dose of it. I wouldn’t consider myself the primary audience for this book, so while I enjoyed it, it didn’t have as big an impact on me.

If you’re intrigued, definitely pick this up! The audiobook was a great option.

Hello Bookish friends! Today I listened to the new book, What’s Not To Love by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund Broka. In a classic enemies to lovers YA book, these high schoolers learn that there is more to life than their rivalry. This book follows two high school seniors who are fierce academic competitors. The story discusses the correlation between hate and love and how thin that line can become. When forced together on a 10-year academic class reunion, they decide to call a temporary ceasefire to get this task accomplished. I honestly couldn’t tell you if they followed one of Shakespeare’s plays like their other books. The audiobook provides a fun way to hear their rivalry firsthand. The narrator perfectly times the moments when their competitiveness is at an all-time high. However, it seemed like the audiobook kind of lagged and skipped in a few places. I couldn’t tell if that was due to the audio file or the app I was listening through. I always love books by this husband and wife duo and this one is no exception. I highly recommend it! 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


QOTD: What is your favorite YA trope?

Allison and Ethan LOVE to HATE each other, spending every single day of high school competing and one-upping each other. They absolutely cannot stand one another, but with feelings that strong, lines are bound to be crossed. This story does a really great job of writing the MC’s strong emotions and subtly showing that what they view as disdain is simply passion at times. I flew through this story and really enjoyed it, despite the fact that I found Allison to be obnoxious and insufferably arrogant. I also wanted to know more about Ethan in the end. You can tell that the authors were writing from personal experience because they brought out the point that not everyone’s high school experience has to look the same in order for it to be meaningful, worthwhile, and even enjoyable. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!