Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha, and Nikki Asada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Suehiro is has no friends and is more than content reading the same book over and over in her corner of the classroom. When attractive Takasago comes over to ask her out, it is quite the surprise. Not only does Suehiro think Takasago asked her out because of a dare (called batsu-game), but the whole school thinks that too! She's so quiet and bland, he can't seriously want to date her, can he? When he resurrects the Literary Club just for Suehiro (the secret name of the club being the Suehiro Club), he really wants it to just be the two of them! Eventually, someone does join the club, and it is a mysterious person of interest who appears throughout volume one.

At first I thought this manga was a bit basic and bland, just like any other high school romance, but the end really has its interesting highlights. Once they establish the requirements for someone to join the literary club, the series opens up a whole new door of possibilities when it comes to the plot. And maybe a potential love triangle? I am certainly intrigued by this third party character, and he is what makes me want to read the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This is such a sweet and adorable romatic manga!

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5⭐
This was quite a nice and easy read and I can't wait to read more. The premise of this is where Takasago asks Suehiro out on a dare/punishment from a game which, if done right, can be great and I think this was done rather well!

Would I Read It Again? Yes
Would I Recommend it? Yes

Rather wholesome for a story whose premise involves a popular guy asking a wallflower out on, what is basically, a dare. It helps that she knows it is a dare, so her feelings aren't particularly hurt and it helps that the guy is genuinely nice and committed to her happiness. I hope the class rep ends up being a romantic rival, cause already the dude is my ship, but if they dodge the love triangle trope altogether since the relationship has already started I will be fine.

The Springtime of My Life Began with You is a cutesy high school rom-com about a typical popular guy, Takasago, and an introverted girl, Suehiro. At first the two of them get off on the wrong foot when he asks her out due to a batsu (penalty) game , but Takasago actually becomes interested in Suehiro. I was pleasantly surprised how hard Takasago tries to redeem himself so that Suehiro opens up to him, but he can be pushy and overbearing. I hope that Suehiro can grow and make some new friends in the next volume. Would reccomend to readers who enjoyed 'Say I love You' and 'Kimi Ni Todoke'.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha for sharing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another very classic-classic classic (I apologize for this crazy definition). Leading male character, passive female. Pros - beautiful and stylish art, candied, without being irritating. Nicely arranged story. The characters are also charming, with "light" characters - no heavy dramas, rather mostly student problems. Shyness, first love, openness to others - these are the leading topics. The manga is, so to speak, widely available as a theme. The only minus, if it can be a minus at all - involved in the wave of titles in which the authors have decided that their characters must have complex surnames to stand out (maybe) from everything else on the market xD And so far I'm not sure that I read the boy's name correctly, it intertwined ...
I also vote for the protagonist to give it to a speaker like Ono Kensho, as long as he plays it with his voice for "disinterested in life" ... maybe someone softer, but at the moment no one else is spinning in head xD
This opinion is in Bulgarian in the original, sorry for the translation errors. I am adding a link.

This manga sets the basics for the story quite fast in comparison to other shoujo stories (which was too rushed for my taste), but in turn, it has already begun to reveal where it deviates from the norm. The ML is not presented as a mysterious popular boy, which I already like. He has his (ordinary) secrets, like the rest of us. Moreover, a big change for me is that the second male-lead is not the typical sunny, carefree, smiling boy. In a way, it's like the mangaka has reversed the stereotypes for the male characters in this story, and it feels really refreshing. It has similar vibes to Ao Haru Ride in the sense that the female protagonist undergoes a change and tries to be more socially active, which I also appreciated - she is not reduced to her relationship with the ML.

I'm a bit wary of what will happen in the next volume regarding the second male-lead because I was truly hoping it would be simply a supportive friendship, but we'll see.

This manga does introduce different elements to the stereotypical shoujo story, especially with the protagonist's favourite book and the literature club. I'm looking forward to seeing more of that high-school club life!

As an introvert at heart, this hits home a lot. The main heroine is so relatable, I see my high school self in her a lot. This volume is so adorable and heartwarming, I loved all the emotions I've felt while reading this one. I can't wait to read the next volume and follow the main characters.

Muchas gracias Netgalley por el envío de una copia en formato digital a cambio de una reseña honesta.

Al principio, debo confesar, que no entendía muy bien qué era lo que estaba sucediendo. Hubo mucha información que introdujeron en las primeras páginas: muchos personajes y actitudes confusas por parte de ellos. Sin embargo, conforme fui leyendo, entendí de qué iba la historia y me gustó mucho.

La protagonista es la típica chica tímida del salón y el chico es el popular de la escuela, sin embargo, ambos empiezan una relación por conveniencia que se transforma en una bonita amistad que, por supuesto, denota los sentimientos que tienen el uno por el otro. No obstante, esto no se ve de manera tan profunda ya que aún parece ser todo muy superficial. Espero que con las siguientes entregas esto cambie ya que me enganché con la historia y la divertida pareja.

Way back in my younger years, I had a thing for shojo (romance manga). I fell out of it, but have since picked it back up this year, with the intense need for romance, HEAs and just other happy things that didn't cause negativity. So when I saw this being offered, I requested it and received it.

AND OMG I AM OBSESSED.

Ok, I'm NOT a shojo professional, I have only recently started up with it again, so I don't know if this is annoyingly trope-y to hardcore shojo readers, BUT I LOVED IT!!

The H is SO SWEET and the h is SO CUTE and she's a READER. Classic H is popular and she is not scenario. The artwork is SO PRETTY and I just loved the storyline, which I was about to spoil because I was so excited, but I won't, so you'll read it and now that I've been talking about it, I want to re-read it!

I asked/told my Boss immediately that we needed to order this, for the store and for me, because I am going to hand sell the HECK out of this series, when I was told that it can't be ordered in book form, only electronic!!!

I DON'T buy books electronically if I want them to be keepers, I get the actual physical book for that, but I broke down and pre-ordered this one (and another one I read right after this one And Yet, You are So Sweet-also amazing!) and I'll be doing a review on Amazon for it too, which I NEVER do, but I need to spread the word about this and the other one I read.

HIGHLY recommended, especially if you like shojo, romance and YA books. Also if you want to try something different that is light and a quick read. Just be warned, you might get hooked!

5, now I need to go back and re-read this RIGHT NOW, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

Received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the publisher, Kodansha Comics, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

My God, I’d almost forgotten my love for mangas and I don’t think I’ll be making that mistake again. As soon as I saw the cover for The Springtime of My Life Began With You and read the blurb, I genuinely felt transported to my past–aka college days or was it school days?–and just had to request for it. This is a Japanese manga which means that it is to be read right to left and the story is released in volumes.

I can see how much writing has changed around the world. Writers are all making their characters relatable in a way that makes us all recall these moments from our own lives. Suehiro, as the blurb states, is a quiet, book-lover looking into the social world feeling longing and fear. Haven’t we all sat inside the fences of our anxieties, struggles and insecurities looking at the people that do so easily something that we fear may break us? Suehiro is no different. Those moments that she faces her fears and takes a deep breath and works past them were moments that I genuinely felt fantastically empowered in. It reminded me of the instances in my life that I had done the same in.

Takasago was an interesting protagonist. I think the further we go into the story the more we will understand about his past and perspective. I expected to be particularly suspicious of him/his behaviour but I only found him interesting, but trust worthy and eager to see what he would do and how I would feel about it.

I’m definitely sure this is a manga I’m going to keep following. Book nerds for the win! 5 stars! A cute story that even if you’re surprised by some things, you take into consideration the personality, struggles and thoughts of the protagonist and want to keep going. Gosh, this reminds me of the mangas I used to love and makes me want to go back to them.

Happy reading lovelies and stay safe! ❤

I just found this in passing while I was browsing titles on Netgalley, and I'm glad that I did because I truly enjoyed reading this.

Suehiro and Takasago are polar opposites, the former is an introvert while the latter is the most popular boy in school. I love this dynamic, while it may seem like an overused trope in animes or mangas.

I loved seeing Suehiro and Takasago's relationship grow. It reminded me a bit of Haru and Shizuku from Tonari No Kaibutsu-kun's dynamic. Suehiro was very relatable, especially with her love for books. Takasago was a real charmer and his character was very alive and had more depth than I expected.

Overall, this was such a fun and light read. I can't wait to read the next volume!

Suehiro is a first-year high school student that nobody really notices. She's always got her head in a book and she doesn't have any friends. Takasago is the outgoing and popular guy that's been given the penalty game where has to ask out an unpopular girl. He chooses, Suehiro, of course, but after Suehiro calls out the penalty game, he tells her he still wants to go out.

This is the first volume of a series and so far, it's pretty typical for a shoujo manga. Suehiro fits the nerdy, wallflower stereotype and Takasago fits the popular guy one. Takasago is rather pushy early on, which is a bit annoying but it's so typical for this genre. He eases up a bit later on and then Suehiro starts to spread her wings due to her own willpower to change. This is is a pretty common trope in shoujo and it seems representative of the culture. Individuality is not valued so much like in our western society.

It's a cute story and so far is very enjoyable. I'm curious as to whether there's anything noteworthy in future volumes so might give them a look when they come out.

Overall, it's pretty good and I give this three stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha for sharing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of cutesy romance, and as the person in my library who buys manga for the teens, I absolutely adored this and know that our romance fans will too.

Suehiro is your generic shy girl whose nose is always in a book. That is until Takasago, from the popular crowd, comes up to Suehiro's desk and asks her out. Having earlier heard the popular kids explaining that Takasago would be required to ask someone out as a Batsu Game (penalty game); Suehiro is partially ready for this to happen, and asks if it's a Batsu Game. Everyone is blindsided by Suehiro's response, but no more than Suehiro herself when Takasago denies that it is.

Thus begins the story of a whirlwind of confusion and an introvert who begins to come out of her shell.

Suehiro is the introvert “loner” girl at school. Her family moves around a lot, so she never tries to put herself out there to make new friends. She figures it’s easier to be alone than constantly trying to fit in somewhere new. She is also a lover of books.

Takasago is the popular extrovert. He used to be on the baseball team, but for reason unknown to others, he no longer plays. When others assume he asks Suehiro out as a joke, they slowly start to realize it might actually be something more.

The overall story was cute. Seeing two polar opposites come together was a fun story. I did feel like there was a little bit of a disconnect in the beginning of the story. I felt like I couldn’t really find something to emotionally tie me to one of the characters. Once the story progressed though, I found myself rooting for the characters.

Overall, a fun quick read. There’s something about book nerds and popular boys getting together that makes me happy.

It is honestly times like these where I wish I could collect digital manga in *paperback.*

This is a new digital title from Kodansha and while I am excited we have this new story to read in English legally, I'm bummed that I can't go to the store and pick this up because I indeed want to do so. It's one I want to be able to flip pages to favorite dialogue and scenes and then be able to run my hands over the cover.

But enough moping because I am thankful for the opportunity to read this as it was delightful! It gives me a lot of When We Shout for Love vibes (which I LOVED!!) and caught myself leaning a little closer to my computer screen to keep reading. I love these kinds of stories where we have our shy main girl stepping out of her shell and into a young woman she's always dreamed of being.

Her journey just started a little different then she expected! LOL! Suehiro is such a relatable character and absolutely love her love for books and wanting to celebrate that love with other friends. I found her whys of wanting to join a club one that resonated in my own heart and her fear of Takasago leaving even more relatable.

While I feel Takasago may appear to be your typical popular guy falling for the shy girl, I was actually surprised how this took a turn into something deeper. He's not just this super popular dude who just "happens" to fall in love. I won't deny that we still see that (and totally not upset at all because that is one of my favorite tropes), but I was not prepared for more depth to his overall character.

Overall, I'm really looking forward to continuing this! The bookish aspect, the characters, and the hopeful journey of growing self-confidence makes this a manga one I would recommend and read again!

*(I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts expressed are my own.)*

I've found this book problematic. Ik It's supposed to be cute and cheesy but the downright bullying and dominating someone in name of courtship and romanticizing it, nah that can never be justified. Their chemistry doesn’t seem authentic It's more like pet and owner relationship.

And Suehiro, get a life girl! That guy is practically taking over your life your decision and you are feeling cozy? TF wrong with you? Aw yeah It's a dumb, booknerd, wallflower, spineless creature! I'm almost disgusted.

But as a huge admirer of art, I can not give this book 1★ (which I should considering the plot) but respecting the hard work of illustrator I'm settling with 2.5★ . yes, I'm Being generous, cz I'm in a good mood atm!

5/5 stars

I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

When Takasago asks her out as a penalty in a punishment game, Suehiro wants nothing more than to hide behind her books. She doesn't want to stand out, and she hates the extra attention. Takasago insists he is genuinely asking her out and gets even more persistent. Suehiro's quiet life suddenly gets a lot more interesting...

This is probably the first time I have ever related to a shoujo protagonist. A girl who just wants to live a normal life? Who hides behind her books because she struggles with people? Who doesn't want attention to be on her? That was me, and it's not something I've ever really seen in manga before. Takasago is a major extrovert, but I like his character a lot too. He's a good guy, and I like the way he interacts with Suehiro. There's also a side character that I'm interested in learning more about. All in all, this was an adorable volume with a protagonist I can relate to, and I think a lot of other readers might be able to relate as well!

This wasn't quite the book for me, but it could be for you! The interactions seemed a little too awkward and forced for my tastes, and I didn't find myself drawn toward any characters. The art was nice, but unfortunately the story wasn't my favorite.

Thank you so much for Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read and review this manga we also need a physical copy please!
This manga made me feel emotional. At first, I wasn't sure what was going to become of this story because of the beginning with a "prank". I related to the main leading girl because of the fear of doing seemingly "normal" school events/wanting to do them to make more friends. The leading guy I want to know more about him and what his motivations are and I hope that happens. I loved also his profound words and his bluntness towards the girl and his appreciation of her hobby. Again, I am curious to see what this series has to offer and I definitely want to continue more. 4.5 out of 5 stars.