oh my goodness. Doe drives me CRAZY !!! She is so bull-headed and sure she is in the right, even when she isn't ! It was nice watching her growth throughout the book, and how her friendships change and evolve.
The rivalry between the 2 schools was INTENSE ! The different pranks were hilarious and inventive.
I liked how the inclusivity in the story was very easily incorporated, it didn't feel like it was shoehorned in, it was just factual and normalized.

The fake boyfriend trope, one of my favourites. This was well done, and a lot of fun;. All the spots where we readers knew what was going on, but the youths in the book didn't. LOL.

Well this was just a delight form start to finish. I thought the characters were adorable and the tropes were on point. VERY cute for fans of the romance genre. Highly recommend!

Overall, this was a good book. However, I wasn't immediately hooked. I put this book down several times and was in no hurry to return to it. Spoiler alert, I did not like the teacher plot, The book could have done without that in my opinion. I enjoyed and laughed out loud a couple of times as I read through the pranks the students were pulling.

This was such a pleasant surprise. It was so fun and the romance was really sweet. I recommend this to fans of Morgan Matson and Jenn Bennett. There's a great friend group, great romance, and great personal growth.

This book follows Doe, who attends an all-girls boarding school. Her one goal in life is to "win" the prank war with the all-boys school across the road, but once she finds out the two schools are merging, everything changes. Doe struggles to figure out her future beyond her pranks and complicates things even more by fake-dating her rival's cousin. Can we guess what happens next? They fall for each other and make tons of mistakes along the way. I love that Doe is a messy character who screws up, but is always held accountable. She is called out by her great friend group, her parents, and her love interest. It was nice to see her grow from these mistakes and become a much better person in the end. Her journey is fun if a little convoluted.

My one issue with this book is something that is hinted at throughout the story but comes to a head in the last 20 percent of the book. There is a creepy male teacher who students joke about until suddenly a girl comes forward and speaks against him. This is in the Goodreads synopsis but doesn't develop until the end and it honestly has no place in this story. Almost every boarding school book I've read does this and almost none of them need too. This goes from being a fun rom-com to a hard-hitting story of feminism and predatory men. Its weird, but the topic is handled pretty well.

Overall, I liked this and will read more from the author. This was super solid and fun and I think students will really gravitate towards it. This May End Badly is an almost perfect book that will easily find an audience.

3.5/5 stars

This May End Badly is a debut novel. It takes place at a boarding school. And I would categorize it as a combination between realistic fiction and YA contemporary romance.

The narrator is 17 year old high school senior Dorothy/Doe (1st person POV).

Doe goes to an all girls school. Her school has an intense rivalry with the local boys boarding school. There are numerous pranks. But the story also deals with some serious issues. There is romance. The book is also about friendships. Doe was an interesting character. She was kind. But she was also very self-centered at times.

The rivalry and pranks were at times a bit much. But I enjoyed reading about the boarding school aspect of the story. Overall this was an enjoyable read.

I love pranks and fake dating, so This May End Badly was a fun read for me.

My favorite part about this book was how it addressed what single-gender schools mean for students that are nonbinary or transgender and how to create a safe place for everyone. I wish that would have been more at the forefront. Doe had a lot of growing up to do and I would have liked to see more of that happen early on. She was tough to root for at times. I really wished that the issues with the male teacher would have been better handled. I do wish there was more of the friendship aspect and not so much focus on Doe and her lying/rivalry with Three.

CW: sexual assault mentioned, predatory teacher

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled to get into this one at first, but I think that’s largely because I didn’t read the synopsis going into it and this books jumps RIGHT in. I had no idea what was going on or even where this book was set. But once I gave it a bit of time, I figured it out and ended up truly enjoying it.

A genuine young adult novel set in a boarding school, high schoolers compete in a rivalry between two opposing schools – and the pranks are endless. That is, until the announcement that claims the schools will be merging at the end of the year. Doe and her friends plot to keep the merger from happening – until more important goals become front and center.

I loved seeing these characters mastermind their pranks, but I also loved seeing them grow up and learn how to make things right. There was a lot of character growth and development in this book and I am all for it.

I really enjoyed This May End Badly. I was unsure how I'd feel about the book for the first couple of chapters but the storyline pulled together rather nicely.

The fake dating trope was used really well and I liked that there are shifting focal points instead of just making the only conflict be the rivalry between the two schools/our main character Doe and Three or the faking dating ploy. These difficult sub-plots touched on topics like abuse, trauma, sexual identity, etc. and that, in my opinion, added some much needed layers to the characters and setting.

Character wise, we meet many from the schools, Doe's family, and Well's family. The number of characters introduced could be very confusing but I actually thought the introductions were handled very clearly, All of the characters were enjoyable and I would actually be interested in learning more about them, especially Christian and Gemma.

This is a YA book so it may not be for everyone but I really enjoyed how the book encourages personal growth and wanting the best for your peers as well. I could see myself rereading This May End Badly and I am excited to see what else Markum has in store for readers.

"One little lie won't hurt"
Never has this phrase been a good one. Little lies stack up and come back and bite you when you are down.

This is a cute book, that has a bunch of the tropes that you expect to see in a Young Adult romance-comedy; fake dating, high school rivals, little white lies, all girls school across the street from an all boys school, rich and middle class, and schools merging.

But this also addresses fights with friends, issues of sexuality (side characters not the main), anger issues, creepy teachers, school administration issues, power of voices, divorced parental units, and how a little lie can spiral out of control.

I really enjoyed the book, parts made me laugh, others brought tears to my eyes, other times I wanted to smack the characters upside the head because they were being really dumb.

Fun story - if you like boarding school tales, fake dating and teenagers trying to figure things out.

Thank you to Wednesday Books, NetGalley and Samantha Markum for the free advanced reader copy. I am freely leaving my review.

I have had this on my TBR since the cover was shown knowing it had so many of my buzz words in the synopsis. So of course I read it ASAP! This book had a lot of great moments. Enemies to lovers, school rivals, and focuses on friendship. What I didn’t expect was for this book to cover some pretty heavy topics but in a relatable way that makes you feel seen and heard. I def recommend this if you love YA contemporary!

The girls from Weston Academy have engaged in a prank wars with the boys from their rival school, Winfield for centuries. When Doe finds out the two schools are to merge, she leads the charge to ramp up the antics to prove that the two student bodies won't mix well. As part of her plan, she makes an arrangement with Wells, the cousin of Winfield's golden boy, Three, to fake date in order to annoy Three. However, not only might she be falling for Wells for real, she may be losing sight of what is really important. While this book is fun and amusing to read, it has a serious side too. It is also full of heart, and the slow-burning romance between Doe and Wells is really sweet. The relationships between Doe and her friends are great as well. While Doe herself needs to learn what it means to be a real friend, it is nice to see a group of girls that are so supportive of each other. Even the girls who do not necessarily agree with Doe and her friends' point of view and/or their tactics react in a mature way and do not get stereotypically catty. The character of Doe shows a lot of growth over the course of the book which is admirable. Overall, it is a very engaging book.

This was a fun prank war Young Adult book!
I definitely loved the idea of two rivaling schools prank each other and it was executed well in this story.
Also, I enjoyed the friendships, romance and hilarious banter.
Although I enjoyed this book there were times I felt there was too much going on and it was hard to remember. I believe it was because I might have not been in a mood to read YA when I read it so I will reread it in the future to see if that changes.
Overall, great book!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

I really liked the premise for this book, prank wars between 2 schools seems really fun and educational to some fun pranks, but overall the book fell a little flat for me.

The main character seemed really immature for a senior in high-school and her interactions with her friends seemed a little forced.

I had a good time reading it, but about halfway though I tried to speed up the reading to just finish it.

Happy pub day to the last book that left me with a book hangover. I fell madly in love with the characters in This May End Badly by @sam.markum and actually went back to reread a few scenes instead of starting another book right away.

This YA romcom has so many of my favorite elements. Not one boarding school, but two. Fake dating. A feminist slant. Amazing friendships. An imperfect protagonist who keeps trying. And witty banter that had me swooning. Doe (short for Dorothy) and her close group of girlfriends at Weston academy have spent years playing out a centuries old prank war with Winstead, the boys’ school across the road. The rivalry between the girls and pack of boys, led by Three, is very real, so when it’s announced that the schools will be merging the next year, Doe sort of loses her mind plotting to stop the union. She’s sure it will mean less resources for the girls, and she may have a point. Part of her plan…or maybe it’s more plan adjacent…is convincing Three’s cousin Wells to fake date her to get under Three’s skin. He agrees because he needs her help with a secret plot that’s possibly illegal.

There was a lot going on in this book, and I’ll be completely honest and say that not everything landed completely for me, but the things that did, landed hard. And the things that didn’t, I’m still thinking about which for me is the sign of a good book. There was a bad egg teacher storyline that infuriated me and probably could have been its own book. I wanted a little more information and history, and I’d love to discuss it with anyone who’s read the book.

For me the heart and brilliance of this book was the characters and their relationships. The friends and the way they held each other accountable was fabulous, and that goes for both groups even though the book was told from Doe’s POV. There was an interesting discussion about who’s being left out of single gender schools that I really appreciated. And I adored with a capital A Wells.

I would highly, highly recommend anyone who reads contemporary YA romance grab a copy of this book, and I’m so grateful to @WednesdayBooks and @Netgalley for an advanced copy.

Let me say that YA romance isn't my normal go-to genre, but this debut novel by Samantha Markum was super cute! The rival schools, pranks, fake dating, and a few surprises thrown in made this book very enjoyable. I might have to read a few more YA romance to see if it's my new guilty pleasure. I look forward to Ms. Markum next book!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital arc of this title.

Thank You to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

The May End Badly is a YA Contemporary.

Entertaining Prank Battle ✔️
Fake Dating ✔️
Enemies to Lovers ✔️
Swoon worthy MC ✔️
Great Friendships ✔️

Prank war between the Westin School for Girls and the Boys at Winfield Academy has lasted for a century. Doe is determined to win this battle once and for all. However, her plan hits a snag when she finds out that the two school are to merge.

To get Doe’s nemesis, Three, off his game. Doe and his cousin Wells made a plan to Fake Date each other. As the pranks get more intense, so does their relationship. I enjoyed their relationship, going from “enemies” to friends to lovers.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was fun, but also had some deeper moments and more under the surface.

This May End Badly by Samantha Markum is currently scheduled for release on April 12 2022. Pranking mastermind Doe and her motley band of Weston girls are determined to win the century-long war against Winfield Academy before the clock ticks down on their senior year. But when their headmistress announces that The Weston School will merge with its rival the following year, their longtime feud spirals into chaos. To protect the school that has been her safe haven since her parents’ divorce, Doe puts together a plan to prove once and for all that Winfield boys and Weston girls just don’t mix, starting with a direct hit at Three, Winfield’s boy king and her nemesis. In a desperate move to win, Doe strikes a bargain with Three’s cousin, Wells: If he fake dates her to get under Three’s skin, she’ll help him get back his rightful family heirloom from Three. As the pranks escalate, so do her feelings for her fake boyfriend, and Doe spins lie after lie to keep up her end of the deal. But when a teacher long suspected of inappropriate behavior messes with a younger Weston girl, Doe has to decide what’s more important: winning a rivalry, or joining forces to protect something far more critical than a prank war legacy. This May End Badly is a story about friendship, falling in love, and crossing pretty much every line presented to you—and how to atone when you do.

This May End Badly is an emotional read that covers much more than I expected. I was expecting a lighter read, but quickly found myself engaged in the story and worried about how everything would play out. Doe is not always an easy character to like, but at the same time her struggles to deal with her anger and figure out exactly who she is and what she wants is very understandable. I liked that all characters have their own things going on, even when Doe doesn't notice, because that is how life goes so it made everything more realistic. The amount of things happening and the layers to the story felt like it was almost too much in the moment, but when it all come together it was exactly like what could really happen. I had almost forgotten how vivid and intense everything is when you are a teen, and this was a good reminder as I now have two in my house. I really enjoyed the focus on friendship and how important honesty (especially with yourself) is is the book. The book very much makes the point about sticking to convictions but considering other points of view or options as situations and ideas when you become aware of them. This is not an easy read, while there are definitely some very fun moments. It is emotional and took me on the roller-coaster ride with all the feels and failures Doe suffered and the epiphanies and successes she fought for. I think this is a great read for young adults and older.

This May End Badly is an emotional and engaging read.

Huge thanks to Wednesday Books @wednesdaybooks and @macmillanusa for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows female MC, Doe, as she and her crew of girls from Weston all-girls school continue a century long prank battle with the all-boys Winfield Academy. After school begins, Doe finds out that her precious Weston School will merging with Winfield Academy. Temper flairs, outrage ensues and the story goes from there.

This book reads just like a CW TV show. The story, characters and the over arching plot could easily be slotted for a tv series. Overall, I was in a place where I needed an easy, fun read and this hit the spot. I enjoyed the coming-of-age arc in this because we can see a clear change in the main character by the end of story. The romance was decent, however, I found the main love interest too passive. The plot was good for the most part but I did find it messy at some points because there was so much going on. Then at the end, there is an event that felt like a filler, and in my opinion, it didn't fit into the overarching plot of the book. However, it didn't take away from the overall story.

Overall, I gave this book a 3.75 stars. If you need a quick school based read, this is good. However, I won't be reading it again because I didn't find anything groundbreaking about it.

This was a fun and heartfelt book that had some of my FAVORITE features - a prank war, a boarding school, fake dating?? Give me all of it, please!!

Doe and Wells had such a cute and comfortable relationship - you love to see it! While I liked the book for their chemistry, I loved the book for Doe's journey. I saw a lot of myself in her - her tunnel vision, her avoidance, and her resistance to change. It was great to see Doe channel her love for her school in a positive way in the end.

What would have really bumped this up a star for me would have been a bigger focus on the Tully storyline. I assumed it would have been a bigger piece of the book, but it felt like more of an afterthought by the end, and at that point we didn't need a sexual predator as a plot device.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the review copy!

I really enjoyed this!! This was a great YA Contemporary Romance with some fun prank wars between rival schools, a fake dating romance that was just so sweet, an awesome friend group, and some pretty serious themes that were tackled. This story had some fun banter and a lot of character growth. I will say our heroine, Doe, was pretty immature at times and her decisions drove me crazy, but that was part of her character arc so I get it...

Overall, a very fun YA contemporary romance that was a fast read and very enjoyable!

TW: sexual harassment