I am obsessed with this story. This has just become my go to recommendation for people wanting Sapphic YA books.

Molly and Alex are such loveable characters. Molly overcoming her shyness and learning to embrace the world, Alex learning how to be less flirty and outgoing in an attempt to open up more and embrace herself is just a gorgeous parallel. The dual POV is done so well, I really loved seeing each of their perspectives of their relationship and the world around them. The friends to pining to lovers trope can be irritating, but this was done so well I can't imagine people not loving it as much as I did.

Romance, plans, college antics, and realizing that what you need is right under your nose. Honestly, what could be bad about any of that? Nothing. If I can convince you to read one book this year, it should absolutely be this one.

Thank you so much to Simon Teen and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is by far one of the cutest and most heartwarming sapphic books I've ever read. I absolutely adored this book. Lippincott and Derrick truly knocked it out of the park. From the first page to the last I was completed sucked into the story and never wanted to get out. I could read so many books about Alex and Molly. Well done! This was phenomenal!

4.25 Stars. This was a lovely read. This book reminded me of all the teenage rom-com movies I watched as a teenager, in the late 90’s, except for that the mains in this book are queer. I would have killed for a movie like this growing up in that time period. Anyway, the blurb mentions how this had the feel of She’s All That, and it just happens that it was one of the first movies I compared this book too so I completely agree with that statement. The story here is really nothing new, and there are a few “authors writing together for the first time” bumps, but overall this book just works and it is a read I would easily recommend.

This was a super sweet, best friends to lovers romance. If done well, this trope is really enjoyable to read and makes for a good romance which was the case here. This is very slow burn, and I do wish it was a little less slow because the characters could have used more “couple time” but this book excelled in the ‘building feelings’ part. My favorite part of a romance is the ‘getting to know you’, the dating, when you see things starting to get more serious, and watching a connection build in front of our eyes. This was what this book really was about and it was exactly what I want in a romance.

While there was a lot of sweetness, and lightly funny moments, I was surprised that this book had me close to tears more than once. There are some very emotional parts, and even just feeling badly for a character that is embarrassed or hurt -because it’s like you take a bit of the hit with them-. There were some parts of this book that were really well written, including close psychic distance, which means you actually feel what the main characters are going through and I love that as a reader.

While there were some really well written parts, there were some debut bumps too. (This is a debut for one author and a debut for them as a writing team.) I’m hoping a lot of this was only due to me having an early review copy, but I did find some inconsistency issues and what seemed like head-hopping a few times. There was also some writing that felt a bit choppy which was odd to me. We would go from such a lovely written part, to something that didn’t feel right which was a shame since it jogged me out of my reading zone at times. When this book is on, you fly right through it so in comparison the few bumpy stops were disappointing. Again, hopefully at least some of this will be cleared up and if not, most of these really are newbie writing bumps so that the more these authors write together, the more I expect these issues will go away.

TLDR: This was a really well done YA/NA romance. I’m not sure if I call this YA or New Adult, but that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme since this romance just works. This book brought back some memories of the movies I grew up with, except this was how I wish they were actually written. While this book had some writing bumps, some part were wonderfully written not just for a debut but for any book. I’m excited to read more from this duo and I would absolutely recommend this to best friend to lovers romance fans and rom-com fans. This is one you will not want to miss.

4.75 Stars. This New Adult college lesbian romance is amazing. I came into this with the expectation of a sort of "She's All That" trope, but with lesbians and less the "OMG, she's actually pretty under those glasses!" makeover. Instead you have a gradual coming out of an awkward character, and the more confident of the pair shows her vulnerabilities more.

The story centers around the flirty, chaotic Alex Blackwood, and the more reserved awkward Molly Parker. They both are freshmen at The University of Pittsburgh (or Pitt), and both have goals for their college life. For Alex, it is about becoming financially secure for the first time in her life, and repairing her 6 month long relationship with her girlfriend. Molly just wants to gain the courage to talk to her high school crush and build a life away from her hovering mother. When they meet at a party before the start of the semester, neither is impressed with the other. But there's a deal to be made, and both young women look to gain from this surprising new friendship.

What makes this so good for me is the sneaky way they do the "make over" aspect of Molly's story, and combine it with Alex's outward charisma and her own inner turmoil. Alex projects confidence like it is her job, and Molly needs a shot of that. Molly an introvert who was insolated as a high schooler, but she really wants be involved with college live. When she and Alex get together to work on getting Molly's crush, Alex is surprisingly good about handling Molly's insecurities. Alex is a good coach, even when she is more abrasive. Like when she helps Molly pick out clothes for her "dress to impress" stage, instead of saying Molly's clothes are bad fashion, Alex almost immediately clocks that Molly isn't comfortable wearing the clothes she has. So they go out to find clothes that Molly feels confident in. And it works - Molly looks and feels better about herself and they even get to have a moment where they become more aware of each other.

There are some other really good things in here, like Molly confronting her mother on her rejecting her Korean heritage and hovering, Alex dealing with her alcoholic mother, and just the way college life is presented. Alex's mother hit me particularly hard, and it surprised me how well it was presented. Alex is a smart, capable person, and once it's revealed how badly her parents' mishandling of her mother's alcoholic mother, I just felt for her. While it does lean a little too heavily into "beautiful people are misjudged, too" trope with Alex at times, it didn't bother me as much. We are shown -not told- how Alex's issues with her mother and her not present father affects her decisions in her everyday life. It's just so well and thoughtfully done.

I adore this book, and I believe this will surprise a lot of people. Both Alex and Molly are relatable in their own ways, and I found myself just wanting them to be happy - preferably with each other, as the book went on. If anything, my one complaint was the ending. It felt like it just ended, but I can understand why it was ended like that. But overall, this is probably the best Young Adult/ New Adult title this year.

*I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this story that follows Alex and Molly in the first year at University of Pittsburgh. I identified most with Molly who lacks confidence and is a little socially inept. She secretly pines after Cora for years in high school. Now in the same college, she hopes to get close to her but doesn't know how.

Alex is the ying to Molly's yang. She is charismatic, flirty and confident. Alex offers to help Molly get Cora's attention in an attempt to prove to her long distance GF that she is caring and faithful.

Fun ensues as Alex presents her 5 steps to get the girl to Molly. Pushing her out of her comfort zone and into some pretty funny situations. The two become closer as each character grows into their own and realize what they want out of love.

This heartwarming YA novel will give you all the warm and fuzzy feelings with humor and depth.

I hate to say it but this was kinda fell flat for me. I loved The Lucky List and had the same expectations going into this one and I didn’t enjoy it. Molly was frustrating and Alex deserved better.

What a refreshing and fun read.
An lgbtq rom-com that took me back to my college days. I loved the story line and the characters. The roller skating scene was THE best!
Thank you NetGalley!

This was a beautiful YA/New Adult title. The two main characters--Alex and Molly--were extremely believably young women with realistic concerns, traumas, and expectations. It was beautiful to see them grow as individuals and then together. I loved their two authors writing as a pair. I hope to see more from them. 5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the eARC!

I can’t lie gang, I had incredibly high hopes for this one. The authors (who are wives!! And expecting a baby!!!) have done a great job promoting their book on BookTok, and I nearly cried when I saw I was approved for an ARC. With She’s All That pitched as inspiration and my favorite trope - enemies to lovers - playing a main component in the plot, it’s like this book was practically written for me.

I am happy to report that those high hopes were absolutely met. I really, really loved this book.

In She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott (author of Five Feet Apart) and Alyson Derrick (in her debut!) college freshmen Alex Blackwood and Molly Parker become reluctant allies after a rough introduction when Alex (known flirt and in the doghouse with her ex Natalie) offers to help Molly (lovable nerd with exactly none dating history) get the attention of her too cool crush, Cora. Alex wants to get a break from her stressful home life and prove to her ex that she can make real connections, while Molly is determined to leave her four friendless years of high school behind and really find herself in college. The girls do not stay enemies for long, and as they continue to get to know each other, their friendship reaches new and exciting (and terrifying) places.

God, I loved this book.

First, let's talk mechanics. The novel is written in a dual POV, alternating between Alex and Molly’s first person perspective of what’s happening. Personally, I do not often enjoy reading first person works. I avoid them if I can, and have DNF’d books - or not even picked them up even if I was excited about the plot - because it’s in first person. I did not have that problem reading this book. I found the character voices to be distinctly unique and perfect for the story that was being told. Each chapter was labeled with what character’s POV it was, but by the time I was about a quarter in, I didn’t need them anymore.

Which is a good segue into talking about the pacing of the book. About a quarter in was when that promised “hot girl helps the nerd get the other girl” plot really got started, after all the characters and background information was set in place. It felt natural as opposed to a big lore drop, and it made me more excited to get into the main plot because I felt connected to the characters.

If “Are you an Alex or a Molly?” was a personality quiz, I would absolutely be a Molly. Her love of organization and occasionally crippling self doubt really resonated with me. At one point, Alex says to her “You’ve got a real kink for being in control, don’t you, Molly?” and it felt like a direct callout.

I’m flashing heart eyes at my computer screen over these girls, they were such strong characters with goals independent of each other, which was so refreshing to see. I also loved that they were in college, it was cool to have a YA set outside of high school while still firmly being in the YA genre. These girls read like freshly out into the world college students, and while I’m still much older than them (which, gulp, when did that happen?) it was easier to connect with them and compare my personal experiences with undergrad to theirs.

On top of having independent goals, the girls each felt like solid, well-rounded characters. I don’t read a lot of YA anymore, mostly because I personally struggle to relate to the characters or even see them as fully ‘people’, because a lot of the time I find that the story and the world get more attention than the characters. I don’t know this for sure, but I would absolutely believe it if someone told me that Alex and Molly were based off of the authors’ lives; that’s how real they felt and how believable they were as fully realized creations.

And the love story, y’all. I really am a sucker for enemies to lovers, and while the ending was of course so sweet and wonderful, my favorite part of the book was the two of them becoming friends. For very different reasons, Alex and Molly are both starting college almost entirely alone, and it’s by chance more than anything else that they even meet. It’s their individual stubbornness that keeps them in each others’ lives, and it's the genuine, realistic pace of their developing friendship that makes the “to lovers” part of the enemies to lovers trope feel really rewarding here.

I know I’ve said it so many times already, but I really loved this book. I was grinning the whole time, laughed out loud at multiple moments, and swooned at the ending. She Gets the Girl comes out tomorrow, Tuesday, April 5th, and I can’t encourage you enough times to please please please read this book. You will only be doing yourself a favor.

This book squeezed my heart. It is described as a romcom and it definitely had cute and humorous parts. There is, however, a depth and complexity to the characters that just makes it all that much better. Alex and Molly both have challenges. Alex has an alcoholic mother and acts as her mother's caretaker - a mother to her mother. She doesn't know how to form a healthy relationship, because she's never had a good model. She is, however, a cool girl and knows how to "get the girl." Molly, on the other hand, is socially awkward and has no confidence in herself. Her mom is her best friend. To see these two characters grow is a real joy. The meet cute is absolutely that - a meet cute. Molly and Alex definitely get off on the wrong foot. It was fun to see their relationship build as they banter and open themselves up to each other.

Having two authors worked really well. The dual POV felt authentic. I absolutely enjoyed every part of this book. There’s the perfect amount of humor, angst, slow-burn romance, and real life challenges.

*Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the ebook to review*

This is super voice-y and ends up being really sweet. I loved the characterization of both the main characters. Also, I loved the cover! Four stars.

I really like this book and the storyline. It's happy, it's gay, it's adorable for the most part.

The only thing I didn't vibe with was the age group. Normally YA books and I mesh well, but these fresh out of high school kids were acting every bit the just-graduated bunch. But then you have Alex acting much older than everyone else and it doesn't fit quite right. Granted Alex has her share of trauma but that doesn't necessarily make you an 18 year old Delilah Green.

Overall it's still a 5 star book. The vibes being off are definitely a me problem.

She Gets the Girl was a slow read, it took a bit for the story to grab me, but then the characters grew on me. The growth of Molly and Alex was fun to read. I loved the different POVs. Getting to see the thoughts of both Molly and Alex made the book. A delightful coming-of-age read.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.
#shegetsthegirl #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced review copy!

I absolutely loved the relationship between Alex and Molly. They were witty and funny and had so much great chemistry. As for the book overall, it took me a while to get into it, but once I was able to, I fell right into the story. It was a fast paced read but didn’t go so fast that it skipped over anything major.

“She Gets the Girl” tackled some heavier topics including toxic relationships, alcoholism, internalized racism, among other things. It addressed them with care and while it was left open ended as to what happened next within certain situations, it leaned on the positive side.

This is a great book to anyone who wants a cute, sapphic, slow burn romance but who doesn’t shy away from reading about heavy topics. 4.5/5 stars

Full review to come at: www.maeflowerreads.Wordpress.com

This was such a cute, fun, slow-burn romance. I really enjoyed the character's incredibly distinct voices and how their stories wound together. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Simon Schuster for an eArc an exchange for an honest review.

TW: alcohol consumption, parental abandonment (past), alcoholic parent, emotional manipulation (parent), racism (internalized), mention of racist bullying (past)

I requested an ARC of this title because the blurb had me hooked with some of my favorite things: a sapphic, opposites attract, enemies to lovers, trying to get the wrong girl romance? Sign me up! But this book was so much more than that. Though most of the story was the sweet rom-com that we're lured into by the description, the authors really take on some tough topics along the way.

Alex Blackwood is headed to college as a pre-med major. Does she really want to be a doctor? Nope. But it's the only path she sees to a financially secure future. She has spent too many years trying to support herself and her mother, and never again wants to have to feel the weight of the world upon her shoulders. Her relationship with her mother is complicated; of course she loves her, but the burden of having to deal with an alcoholic parent is too much. College and the future it offers is her escape from that life. And then there's Alex's girlfriend, Natalie. Alex never feels quite good enough for her, but she intends to show Natalie that she can be the person she needs.

Molly Parker is also new to campus. She's shy and awkward, with her mother as her only real friend, but she is determined to try and break out of her shell when she starts college, because it's time to finally win the girl she crushed on all through high school - the beautiful and perfect Cora Myers. Molly finds an unlikely ally in Alex, who has decided that helping Molly get her girl is the perfect way to show Natalie that she can be a good person.

I think more authors should write books about the freshman year of college. It's such a time of tremendous transition in life. You move from the relatively sheltered existence of your family and your town and the small domain of high school, to the intense, foreign world of a university campus, where even small things, like knowing which direction to walk to get to your next class, can be challenging. I identified so strongly with Molly as she struggled to put herself out there amongst the sea of new faces and experiences that college brings. I was that same shy, sheltered, socially awkward girl during my freshman year. Reading Molly's story actually brought back a lot of those feelings of loneliness that I experienced that year, because I was not fortunate enough to have an Alex in my life.

There are some heavy topics dealt with in this book. Alex's mother's alcoholism draws attention to just how hard it is to love someone with this insidious disease. It does not just affect the addict, it changes the lives of their loved ones as well. Alex longs to feel like a "normal" teenager, one who can fully embrace the freedom and adventure that college brings, but at the same time she feels obligated to care for the mother who so obviously cannot care for herself, and this responsibility weighs so heavily on Alex's mind and spirit.

Molly's mother is also dealing with her own issues, the biggest of which is the sudden change in her relationship with her daughter. Throughout Molly's life, her mother has been her friend and her confidante. They spend a lot of time together, and Molly feels like she can tell her mom anything. But now Molly is at school, away from home for the first time, trying to spread her wings and fly on her own. And that has to be so hard on her mother. As a mom of a college student myself, I can identify with this so much, because isn't that what makes parenting the hardest job in the whole world? If you do it right, the reward for all those years of love and tears and sleepless nights is having your wonderful child leave you.

Other content warnings to add for this book include toxic relationships, references to parental neglect, internalized racism, and references to racially motivated bullying.

Overall, this is a sweet, slow-burning YA/NA rom-com with depth, a lot of humor, well-developed, complex and relatable characters, great chemistry, a dual-POV narration (my favorite), and a well-earned HEA. I can't wait to read more by these authors.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Second, "She Gets the Girl" was arguably good, but I personally am leaning somewhere between neutral and good. I would have loved more character development, and there are moments where the writing fell a bit short for me. There are times where I also didn't quite like the main characters enough to want to keep going. It's just not what I'd wanted or expected.

That being said, I DID keep going, and I'm glad I did. The shakiness of the first half of the book starts to level out, and I thoroughly enjoyed the second half. The overall plot structure was well-done, and by the end of it, it was a pretty good read!

However, I absolutely can see why others really love this book and can see its appeal, and I might even pick it up again in the future!

3.5/5

Lovely Young Adult/New Adult LGBT romance told from the alternating POVs of two college freshmen. Molly comes from a supportive, almost too supportive, home. She has crippling social anxiety and is counting on her freshman year of college to help her not only overcome it but also to finally connect with her crush, Cora, from high school. Alex's life couldn't be more opposite. Her mom's an alcoholic and Alex has had to be the adult in that relationship. Her girlfriend of five months is going on tour with her band and doesn't trust Alex to be true. Molly and Alex form an unlikely friendship as Alex coaches Molly on how to pursue Cora. Molly, on the other hand, teaches Alex how to be young again. I laughed. I cried. I was rooting for both of them!

As a high school teacher and the sponsor of my school's Gay-Straight Alliance, I think my students would really enjoy this book.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Jacket Illustrator Poppy Magda and Jacket Designer Lizzy Bromley have done a fantastic job with this cover. It is original. It refers to a critical point in the story. Plus it is so cute. I love it.

Rachael Lippincott and their wife Alyson Derrick join forces to give us a new adult college makeover romance with some hard-hitting topics thrown in to give us plenty of angst.

I had competing thoughts about She Gets The Girl while I was reading it. One, I really wanted it to be like My Bodyguard (Dir. Tony Bill, 1980) and two, I wanted it to be like She’s All That (Dir. Robert Iscove, 1999). I love the premise of the story where Alex is trying to be a better person for her girlfriend and helps Molly fall in love. Part of me really wanted Alex to be true and stick with Natalie. I think that is more my personal prejudice and heartache than anything to do with the characters though - which is something I had to remind myself often in the beginning of the story.

By the time I got to the middle of the book, I did not care who ended up with whom. I just wanted Alex and Molly to be friends forever. Lippincott and Derrick give us amazing characters with depth. Alex struggles with an alcoholic parent who she takes care of while working full-time and balancing school. She is nothing like the beauty queen she looks like much to the disappointment of all of those around her. She constantly has to hustle to survive and take care of her mother. Alex has had the weight of the world on her shoulders for too long and does what is necessary to find relief where she can find it.

Whereas Molly has had all of the stability that Alex hasn’t. She has had too much of a good thing - to the point where she is isolated and has only her mother as her friend. Her anxiety has made getting out of her own way a huge obstacle. She is hoping that college offers more opportunity, but alas runs into situational challenges. Then there is the stigma of her Korean heritage which she has been taught by society and her mother to disdain. She lacks the confidence in herself and her outside world that Alex has been surviving in all of this time.

When opposites meet sparks fly and it is awesome for us. I love the repartee. I love how their friendship grows and becomes a solid foundation. The interactions between Noah and Beth with Alex made my heart melt. I just love how this whole friendship dynamic plays out. How they both improve each other.

She Gets The Girl plays out just like a movie…a movie I want to watch over and over again.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, Rachael Lippincott, and Alyson Derrick for this ARC digital copy in return for my honest review.

This was one of my top books in March. It is perfection. I absolutely adored both Alex and Molly. They were both so different yet so complimentary of each other. Also who doesn't love an enemy to lover troupe?! My favorite!

If I didn't love this book enough, it is set in Pittsburgh! It was awesome to read about places I have been and seen. Molly and Alex both attend the University of Pittsburgh so hearing all about their classes and adventures felt like home to me.

This is a must read for all romance fans. It is one that I plan to buy and having on my personal shelf as well.