Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this book. This was a fun and edgy college romance with love triangles and an unlikely friends to lovers vibe. The characters had depth and felt whole. While the romance was fun and fresh, some of the race issues seemed forced and poorly handled. Still a fun read.

I don’t want to start out my review by writing “dnf 35%”, because people will think of it as a bad thing, as a sign the book isn’t good enough for me to finish.
However, that is not the case.

I don’t usually read contemporary or romance books, simply because they aren’t my cup of tea. But when I saw this book I just *had* to read it. Maybe a sapphic romcom would convert me to the romance side.

And it… kinda did?

This book is so much fun to read. I am thoroughly enjoying it. However, I am a mood reader, and lately I haven’t been reading much at all. Mix that together and I’m just not in the mood for a romance book. I am 100% going to continue this book later, but I am unable to finish it within this time limit.

You should read this book if you like romcom movies, and want a book with those same vibes, but gayer!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. I absolutely adored this book. I tore through it in about 3 hours. I couldn’t put it down and now I’m so sad it’s over. Almost every single character in this book was just so lovable - I truly couldn’t get enough and am hoping the authors maybe keep writing in this world, so we get more of Alex and Molly and all of the secondary characters.

This is a story about expectations.  Alex Blackwood and Molly Parker are opposites in almost every way but one -- they are both freshmen at the same college.  Alex is a consummate flirt, can talk to anyone, and lives her life always on the edge of chaos.  Molly, on the other hand, is happy when she can organize things, is best friends with her mom, and has trouble talking with anyone her age, especially Cora Myers -- the girl from her high school she has been in love with for years even though they have never spoken.

When Alex and Molly inadvertently cross paths the night before the beginning of classes, they realize they may be able to help each other out.  Alex wants to prove to her most recent ex that she can be trusted to do more than flirt with other girls and actually be just friends with them so the ex will agree to get back together.  Molly needs help figuring out how to get her high school crush Cora, now also a freshman at their college, to notice her and maybe even go out on a date.  So the two agree to join forces on a five-step plan that they hope will end with Molly and Cora together and Alex back with her ex.  But the more time they spend with each other, they each wonder if who they should really be with is not their "dream girl" but each other.

This was a fun read.  Alex and Molly were such distinct characters.  In the hands of the two authors, they are fully realized.  As readers, we get a strong sense of their strengths, their flaws, their hopes, and their insecurities.  I thought some of the strongest parts of the story came when either Alex or Molly learned they had made assumptions or underestimated the other, and their relationship, and feelings, grew as a result.  The slow burn between the two main characters, as they slowly realize their dream partners are more dream than reality, was well crafted.  This is a both sweet and funny book that you won't regret picking up.

Highly recommended!

A fast, cute sapphic romance perfect for young adults. While the path to the ending is a bit silly–it's okay to like someone else better! you don't have to nitpick differences to justify it!–the epiphany is so quick and easy!–it's an incredibly sweet book with moments of real growth. I hope these spouses keep writing together because I think their voices blend well, and that they are good at mixing flawed people with tropes and coming up with heart.

I loved this book! It was so fun, and sweet, and I loved how the romance was portrayed just as a heterosexual romance would be. The main characters were relatable, and funny, and I loved the portrayal of different home dynamics in the books. It was a really touching story that made me smile, and I hope everyone else loves it too!

I got an ARC of this book.

This book was cute, but it isn’t exactly the most memorable. I probably will not remember that I read this in a few weeks, despite mostly enjoying myself while reading. I think it comes down to the way that none of the plots really felt like they had impact.

There were a few side plots to flesh out the MCs. Alex’s mom is an alcoholic. So her side plots have to do with her fear over her mother. These plots felt realistic to some degree, but also had some very large plot holes. How was Alex able to set up all the bill stuff if her mother couldn’t go more than 19 hours without a drink? Where was the money that paid for the rent/mortgage on the house? There were quite a few issues with money, like Alex just would randomly drop money on things like expensive coffee at the cafe and constantly be eating at 7-11. It just felt like there were some issues with the plot. It was the more impactful plot and the one that actually got fleshed out of the two though. The other is Molly’s mom is ashamed to be Korean. She actively pushes away Korean people and says all the racist stuff that white people do. Yet that plot is not explored. It appears around food, then in a phone call. There is no resolution, no real emotions. It felt very thrown on and handled poorly.

The idea that fantasy and reality are different was amazing. The more that the idea of fantasy and how you don’t really know someone just by watching them played out the more happy I was with the book. That plot alone was worth reading the book for.

The voices in the split narrative were distinct! I was so worried. Not many authors can pull off the voices being different enough to matter. I was able to put the book down in the middle of the chapter and come back days later to know exactly who was speaking.

Overall, it was cute but it didn’t really wow me. I enjoyed some aspects of it immensely, but then others felt thrown on or handled poorly.

Okay but this book was the cutest sapphic romcom ever?!?!?! I’m obsessed with the author-wives on tiktok and their book did not disappoint. Dreams, goals, etc. Loved.

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

She Gets the Girl is a wonderful coming of age novel. It is told in duel-perspective from two different college freshman at Pitt. The girls come from very different backgrounds, yet have a lot of similarities. They both have struggled in the friend department for most of their lives.

Through a plan for each girl to get the girl, these two freshman embark on a journey neither one of them expected, opening up in ways unimaginable before this moment. The novel shows what it can be like for college freshman and the growth that happens in just a few months of being away from home.

Overall, Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick did an excellent job writing this fun novel! Highly recommend checking it out.

4.5/5

Alex & Molly!
I really enjoyed this book! The sapphic enemies to lovers romcom trope is everything I never knew I needed in my life!
This Is a love story, yes, but it's really a lot deeper. The content was real, relatable and deals with some heavy stuff. TW- alcoholism, internalized racism, emotionally abusive relationships, social anxiety. I wish the authors would have wrapped up some of the issues with Molly and her mom, I feel like some of her internalized race issues were left unresolved.
I absolutely loved the character development in this book! I don't think I can say that loud enough. Alex and Molly really grew throughout the book and it was so fun going with them on that ride!
The college setting was fun, and a perfect fit for the story.
I really thought this book would be another fluffy fake dating romance, but it was so much more.... and BONUS-Rachel Lippincott wrote it with her WIFE! I love it when authors come together to write books, and writing a romance with your wife is goals!
Thank you @simonandschuster & @netgalley for my copy of this book!
She Gets the Girl is out April 5th, so mark your calendars and set your alarms. You will want to pick up this cute book!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
She Gets the Girl caught my eye based on the premise, and while I had heard about Rachael Lippincott’s work as a coauthor on the polarizing Five Feet Apart (which I admittedly have not read), and that did give me some pause, the concept of this one seemed much more fun with less potential for controversy. And I was especially hyped when I heard this was a collaboration with her wife, Alyson Derrick, also serving as Derrick’s debut. Regardless of premise, I find that real-life couples working together on romance always makes the book feel more personal and real, and that definitely comes across in this one.
Overall, the tone starts off fairly lighthearted, in typical romcom fashion, and while it goes to more emotional places as the story builds, it never loses its sense of itself. There’s also a great setup that blends some familiar romcom tropes, while also injecting a freshness to it that keeps the story interesting.
Alex and Molly are opposites, with Alex being chaotic and flirty, while Molly is more controlled, yet awkward. Yet, both of them find themselves in similar-ish situations of wanting another girl’s attention, so each enlists the other to help with tactics to win them over/back.
The great part was not only in watching them truly “see” each other, but also grow and find themselves. Each of them has fatal flaws that make them hard to like at times, and I appreciate the way it’s balanced so both need to change. And the way that’s also balanced with them dealing with the growing pains of being in their first year of college, and the fact that that facilitates their growth, is also well depicted.
I liked how the relationship development was prominent, while also being a slow-simmering burn that leaves you wanting, without leaving you hanging and wondering. You get a sense of the connection that’s building between emotionally in tandem with their respective personal arcs, and it feels incredibly real and like it has a lot of lasting potential in a way I can’t always say about many contemporary couplings, in YA or adult.
This is a sweet and heartfelt read, and I’m interested to explore more from both authors, especially any possible future collaborations. If you’re looking for a sapphic romcom with emotional depth, you should try this one.

'She Gets the Girl' is one of my favorite YA romances I've read in recent years. Filled with the best kind of tropes and clichés, Molly and Alex meet their freshman year of college and don't exactly click. Molly is shy, introverted and desperately trying to make friends and get her longtime crush to notice her. Alex is a habitual flirt and (seemingly) can't be vulnerable with anyone she dates. The two strike up a deal to help Molly get her girl--the certainly don't expect to actually become friends.

Through Alex's coaching, the two girls begin to realize there's more to the other than meets the eye. While there are plenty of funny and sweet scenes, there's also very real discussions and descriptions of experiences with alcoholism and internalized racism. It hits just the right notes of funny, romantic and emotional.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book! It was really cute. I found the characters very enjoyable. I look forward to whatever else this author will write in the future.

This book feels like it was meant for me to read it. Lesbians! Practice dating! Annoyance turned fondness turned maybe something more (?)! All my favorite things, bundled up in 384 pages.

She Gets the Girl follows two college freshman — Alex and Molly — who form an unlikely friendship while really discovering who they are and what they need. Where Molly is hesitant to take risks on… everything (least of all romance), Alex is charismatic, flirty, confident. But this is the start of college, and both Molly and Alex are determined to be different.

I started really relating to Molly. Her experiences aren’t exactly like mine, but her social ineptitude I could FEEL! (Y’all, I am such an awkward person.) By the time I reached the middle of the book, though, I really started connecting more to Alex. Both of our protagonists had such authentic experiences and attitudes. I loved watching them interact in my head. Their chemistry was clear, even (and especially) when they were simply friends or acquaintances.

Alex and Molly were also such solid characters on their own. Their home lives were nuanced, and in the case of Alex’s life, watching her open up to her own feelings and share them with Molly was such a wonderful thing to read.

I loved the overall ambiance of the book, too. I usually don’t really notice much about the environment, but looking back I really had such a nice image in my mind. It’s not exactly cozy, but it felt familiar? Not the place necessarily, but the VIBES. This writing works SO well for me (honestly, if you like YA, this is perfect).

The story itself left me feeling complete. I think sometimes romance books go too far and show a bit too much of the “honeymoon” phase of the relationship, but (no spoilers, don’t worry!!) I felt like it was exactly the amount I needed to end the story. Nothing extra, and no real reasons to want more — besides just… loving everything about it.

This is now one of my go-to YA sapphic romances (and in the romance genre in general). I really think everyone who gives this book a chance will find themselves in the story in some way.

Alex and Molly seem to be polar opposites but strike up a friendship when Alex agrees to help Molly get the girl of her dreams.

This rom com is ripe for a movie adaptation as it is replete with cute moments and tropes the make it easy to visualize. I enjoyed the college setting and the inclusion of some meaty subplots dealing with issues of parental alcoholism and codependent relationships. The escalation of the romance itself seemed abrupt but felt earned by the end.

Finally something cute and less traumatic unlike my previous reads. An easy and sweet, coming of age read; enemies to lovers troupe, dual POVs. It was predictable but I still enjoyed it. I also love that this was written by wives.

I like the progression between the two main characters throughout the book specifically Molly’s social anxieties. I can also relate to Molly’s mom being an overtly involved parent in their children’s social life. Lol.

My actual favorite character in the book is Jim, the food truck owner. You’ll definitely like the banter.

I received this ARC from @netgalley for an honest review.

You know how sometimes you’re watching a hit 90s romcom set in high school or college and you’re reveling in the delicious shenanigans of the leads and the dramatic irony of them not knowing that they are the leads in a romantic comedy and they’re about to fall in love despite their absolute refusal to acknowledge that they are fallible human beings and love will come for them and their one true love is standing right in front of them? And they go rollerblading and play Never Have I Ever and try their darnedest to futilely manipulate fate? And then you turn off the tv (or Netflix or whatever) and sit back and sigh and think “Man, that was delightful but I wish it had been sapphic”?

Well boy, do I have a book for you.

She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick is an ADORABLE interracial Cyrano-ish college-aged sapphic romance about two polar opposite college freshman who team up to help each other get the girl of their dreams only to discover that the girl of their dreams has been in front of them this whole time. It is such a cute, fun read.

I love Alex and Molly. I love both of them so much. They are opposites attract in the best way possible, both trying their hardest to navigate a world that they do not feel valuable in and finding value in themselves and each other. Alex is a thick-skinned lesbian and Molly is a good-girl Korean-American lesbian. In short, Molly is a mom-jeans lesbian and Alex is a ripped black skinny jeans lesbian. They are flawed and messy and just trying their best and that is the best kind of young sapphic romance.

The plot itself is so intricately plotted and the different POVs are distinct and vibrant. The writing is funny and contemporary and wholehearted and the whole books feels so hopeful to me.

This is being sold as a YA but I’m not entirely sure why. There’s no sex on page but also there it doesn’t feel like there needs to be for the story. However, there is alcohol and drug use on page and it deals with some pretty heavy subjects such as alcoholism and internalized racism. The college setting and the liminal adulthood of it all feels so necessary to the blend of maturity and immaturity of the story. It is definitely grittier and more mature than I was expecting from the ADORABLE cover and the YA tag.

I highly highly recommend for both romance and YA readers alike.

Also it was written by a wife/wife team, and what is cuter and gayer than that?

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon&Schuster for the ARC.

CW: Anti-Korean racism, food scarcity, alcoholism, car accidents, on-page drinking

This was a super sweet YA/NA sapphic romance. I was a bit hesitant through the first few chapters, as I knew Alex was being set up as a protagonist and love interest and found her initially pretty unlikeable. However, that ended up just speaking to the amount of real character development in this book — she had a true arc that went well beyond the generic “tough character has a sad backstory” trope that often ends up excusing bad behavior. In fact, this tends to be a pattern throughout the book; although in many ways this follows many familiar plot lines for the genre (enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, dating schemes, family dramas, general college scenarios), it does them all really well and avoids many of the pitfalls that sometimes annoy me about the genre. The trajectory of their relationship feels so genuine! Both of the main characters deal with real issues in realistic ways, and it never reads like trauma porn. Watching the two girls grow together was satisfying and tender, and even the third act conflict between our two main characters (the point where I usually start rolling my eyes because obviously they’re going to work it out) didn’t feel forced, but rather a natural extension of the characters’ insecurities. Overall, it was a lovely story, and it’s just itching to be the next hit Netflix original romcom.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!

This. Was. So. Cute. It was a young-ish adult (they're freshmen in college), sapphic, enemies to friends to fake dating to lovers romance! And I loved it. I'm obsessed with the fact that Lippincott (who wrote another one of my favorite books, Five Feet Apart) wrote this with her wife. Anyway, I'm very excited that there are more LGBTQ+ YA romances coming out these days for my students to read. Would recommend!

4.5! I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would! This is the first book by this author that I have read. I thought that I knew what to expect from the description, but the writing pulled me in and I read most of the book in one day.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about either of the characters in the beginning, but the character growth that took place made both of these characters very likable. I actually loved that this was a slow burn wholesome book, and by the time the two main character realized how they felt about each other, I was entirely invested in their lives and relationship. Their struggles were so different, but so relatable. This book gave me all of the feels. I would definitely read it again and recommend it to other people.