***Thank you to Netgallery for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review***

3/5 stars

Favorite Quote: "It's like, you love so many people but you're just in a completely different room, peering through a glass window and observing. Sometimes I'm merely a spectator of the show, and I wish I could be okay with that."

I would like to state that I appreciated the diversity that was deciphered in this book. Lara, the main character was Filipino and liked that the author showed Lara speaking the Tagalong language followed by the English translation. It was a cute contemporary YA novel and had some moments that made my heart swell.

This book was the epiphany of a stereotypical, cliche YA story. I felt that every trope ranging from childhood friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, one bed ect was just thrown in there. I appreciate a nice book trope like any other reader but, it seemed like the writer was just trying to check off a list instead trying to execute one or two really well. The writing felt a bit choppy and it didn't really flow from one event to another. The romance itself felt border line elementary instead of showcasing a high school relationship. There were times where Lara's and Jame's relationship had it's wholesome moments but, overall didn't feel really attached to them. Also, Lara's friends were the worst! I wish there was more groveling when it came to their apology and that Laura did not immediately accept their apology. It was like all the tension regarding their collapsing friendship disappeared within 5 minutes and seemed back to normal like nothing ever happened.

How To Be The Best Third Wheel
Lara comes back from summer break to discover her friends all have boyfriends and she missed the memo and they are her enemy James friends causing them both to be third wheels in their friend groups and they now will be seeing more of each other thanks to their friends and him needing a tutor where things start to change in the relationship aspect. Overall it was a fun and quick read that I ended up enjoying.
Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book was chock-full of cliched teen romance tropes. It made me giggle a few times. Although it was corny and formulaic, I did enjoy the concept tho.

I adored the cultural references in the book. Lara's ancestors came from the Philippines. There were a lot of sequences with Tagalog talks, which I really enjoyed. Lara's friend circle was also very diverse, which I think is excellent. The representation in the book is mainly what kept me going. I would definitely recommend it to the younger audience.

Lara is a high school student faced with being the only one of her friend group without a significant other. She is forced to manage being the "seventh" wheel, as she calls it, along with a long time frenemy named James.

I think I may have just aged myself out of this book. I could not relate to any of the characters or their problems. The teenage drama of James and Lara really irked me and I honestly couldn't get over it. This book is meant for high schoolers and I think they would very much enjoy it. It just wasn't for me.

The cover drew me in, and reading the book description made me want to request and read it right away! Lara spent her summer in the Philippines and went back to see her friends in a relationship without her knowledge, thus becoming the ultimate thirdwheel, or perhaps the seventh wheel.

Lara was quirky and full of personality. I like how relatable a character she is. The Filipino representation was top-notch! As a Filipino myself, I was happy to see my culture represented well. The dialogues that were written in Tagalog were well written. They were not cringy or trying too hard. The Filipino family dynamic was awesome! It's relatable and so much fun to read, especially the Lola-Apo relationship. However, with the exception of the villainous causin

Lara's friends are mixed personalities too, which I liked, but it is so cliche when they end up with James' friends. James is kind of relatable too, but to be frank, he didn't stand out. He's just like the typical and cliché male lead, except for his banter with Lara. The realities of young adult problems were accurately depicted, especially those about pursuing a program, the friendship struggles—believe me, I couldn't count how many times I said "so relatable" while reading those—the family relationship and more.

Also, I like how this story ends. However, I wish it lengthened more to see how each character moves on with their lives rather than end just like that. Nevertheless, I absolutely like this YA romance and would give it four stars.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for this ARC.

**Warning*** Mild Spoilers

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I have to say what drew me to this book was the cover, the diversity, and the idea of being a third wheel as I am definitely the third wheel a lot of the time. I will start off by saying that middle school me would have absolutely loved this book. I would have been able to devour it in one sitting and sigh dreamily afterward wishing I had a love like that.

Now that I am in my 20s, this book was a really hard read for me. There was nothing to me that made the male lead attractive as a love interest to me. I honestly had to go back and skim the book to remember what his name was for this review. It's James, by the way, if you're curious. He just has that class clown vibe to me mixed in with the player trope. I felt like he was more like an annoying brotherly character than a love interest. The author really did try to make him a more relatable character by talking about his strained relationship with his father and talking about his last relationship which went south. It just didn't do much for me.

I definitely felt that Lara was more relatable. I get the struggle of wanting to be happy for your friends but hating change. Especially, when you're all going to go your separate ways upon graduation. It's hard. You want to hold on as much as you can before you can't anymore. Lara was also funny at times and I enjoyed her interactions with her family. I did feel she herself was a little annoying at times and I did not understand her attraction to James. She claims to hate him, but in my opinion, treats him as an annoying brother, and then all of a sudden she starts to have feelings. I guess that can make sense if they had that close-knit friendship bond from the start, but that wasn't the case here so it felt unbelievable.

I will also say that I felt like the trope of all of Lara's friends dating all of James' friends was a little out there. That's a little too unrealistic for me. Sure, the girls all happen to get boyfriends over the summer while Lara was away. Believable. Them all being James' friends is definitely a stretch and very cliche. Also, I thought both of their friends were really rude. I get being nervous to tell a friend that you're all dating, but then lying about going on dates and turning what's supposed to be a girls-only hangout into a group date without telling them. While Lara was definitely uncomfortable with the change, she probably wouldn't have said no. It was just a weird situation all around and wasn't handled in the best way.

What I did like about this book were the bilingual conversations that happened between the families as I thought it was really interesting. I think it would have been great to have seen more of the family dynamic as well. I also did find Lara relatable. She wasn't a lost cause to me like James was.

Overall, I just wasn't right for this book. Again, middle school me would have absolutely devoured this and I get that teenagers aren't the most mature. I know I wasn't, but the whole book was just a little too cringe for me, so, unfortunately, I cannot recommend it.

This YA book is something I'm glad I read. It had the normal teenage drama and all. Presently, I could relate to it. My two college friends got boyfriends and I have been feeling like the third wheel so I wanted to read this book immediately I saw the title. The only difference is that this book has some cringey scenes. It's a great YA book tho especially if you've been feeling like a third wheel lol.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!

Wow I really enjoyed this book. At first I was unsure of how I felt about Lara, but I loved how she developed and her worries about the future and figuring out who she wanted to be were so relatable. The romance was amazing and the evolution of Lara's friendships made me so invested. Overall awesome book!

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the Digital Advanced Copy!

This title immediately drew me in. Growing up I always was the friend with the boyfriend; but as an adult I am always the 3rd, 5th, 7th wheel.
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The perfect combination of romantic and anti-romantic. The narrator treats the reader like we are life long friends sharing secrets and feelings.
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There are lots of pop culture references that make this fun and hip; something teens will love.
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The ending felt rushed despite this book being 350+ pages.

How to Be the Best Third Wheel follows high school senior Lara Dela Cruz after she comes back from summer vacation in the Philippines to find that all of her best friends got boyfriends without her knowledge. She also has a super-hot frenemy whom she gets forced into tutoring. Wonder what happens next!

First of all, I am not in the target demographic for this book. I work in a high school and tend to be fairly critical of how high schools are portrayed in books. I also am not a big fan of romance/YA tropes in general and oh boy is that a problem for this book.

I loved the cultural aspects of this book. Lara's Filipino family was very fun to get to know. I liked the use of Tagalog with English translation and Lara's navigation of her family's culture and her Canadian upbringing. I enjoyed getting to see her try to decide which version of herself to use in different situations. There were also some funny and cute moments that I enjoyed.

Other than that... I felt like the writing was basic, Lara's friends were horrible, the cousin villain was cartoonishly evil, and the enemies to lovers trope was absolutely nothing new. I knew about 10% in that this book was not for me and really had trouble pushing through to the end. I felt like I was intruding on a book only meant for teens the entire time that I read.

If you're a big fan of YA romance and enemies to lovers, you'll probably like this book a lot! 2 stars from me. Thank you to Wattpad Books and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review!

4/5 stars

The book was a quick read but it wasn’t one of my favorites. I liked the characters but I disliked the ending greatly.

Lara was a relatable teenager in her senior year; tired, excited, and terrified of life after highschool. I emphasized with her indecision with her future. And after her friends started pulling away after getting boyfriends she felt wildly alone. I was nervous about how the friendship would be handled because her friends were horrible to her, but I thought it was handled well enough.

James… I like him well enough. He wasn’t one of my favorite love interests but he did like Lara and I did enjoy their relationship. I thought it was cute and they really did like each other.

My least favorite part of this book was the ending. I understand why it ended the way it did but I was disappointed, especially when there was no epilogue.

Overall, I like the story but it wasn’t one of my favorites.

I loved this book! It’s the perfectly cute romance, a slow burn and emotional. Lara returns from her summer holiday and finds her 3 best friends now have boyfriends. Worst part, they’re with her enemy’s best friends. Her greatest enemy, James. This is one of the best enemies to lovers I’ve ever read and would highly recommend. The book is so sweet, incredibly diverse and the plot twists are completely unexpected. Overall, it’s a perfect romantic comedy!

"Oh. My. Freaking. Fishballs."

When I say that this book looked into my soul and destroyed me emotionally, I am not lying in the slightest!

Lara de la Cruz is a high school senior who returns from summer break to find her three best friends, Carol, Jasmine, and Kiera have gotten boyfriends while she was gone. Boyfriends who are best friends with her arch enemy James, causing the two enemies to be the third wheels in their friend groups.

Initially when I begun to read, it was a little difficult with all characters being introduced but before long I was sucked back into high school where the world feels out to get you and nothing seems more important than the friends at your side. I finished the rest of the book in a day, curled up on the couch and screaming "NO DON'T DO THAT!" only for the inevitable to happen.

The situations that Lara finds herself in are rather universal and I could easily say that many could relate to her experiences. With the addition of different cultural experiences, How to Be the Best Third Wheel is both familiar and fresh!

I am so glad I came back and gave this book a chance as it wrecked my emotions! I was so angry with Lara's friends and the annoying Jack while laughing at Lara's quips and quirky behavior. As the funny friend in the group, I definitely saw a lot of myself in Lara. And the love stories here? Absolutely stunning and devastating! I actually cried! Which a book has not made me do in soo long let me tell you!

I finished this last night and had to sleep on my review because I was so stunned by the beautiful ending that left me longing for a sequel!

Loridee De Villa's debut novel is definitely worth the read (I have already convinced two of my friends to buy it when it comes out!) and I desperately need to add it to my book shelf as a comfort read!

I definitely look forward to any future novels from Loridee!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I received a free e-copy of the book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

After the summer break the MC comes back to start her final year at school and finds out that all three of her girlfriends now have boyfriends. She and her long time enemy are now forced to spend time together as their friends are dating.

The book was fine. The writing was a bit rough. I wasn't a big fan on the pacing. The FMC was at times a touch annoying thus I wasn't rooting for her.

I would recommend the book to younger readers who haven't got a lot of experience reading YA.

This was a cute, sweet, funny read. I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. I loved the fact that the author depicts the family well in this story as well as it's a diverse read. This book was very much enjoyable and gave me all the feels of first love.

Overall, this book is a pretty solid read within the YA romance genre. It has standard strengths (happily ever after &c.) and weaknesses (childish characters and approaches to relationships) and will all around be generally pleasing to readers and fans of the genre.

The one thing I didn’t love about this was the way that the protagonist wrote off the less-than-kosher behaviors of her love interest. It felt like it had a very “boys will be boys” mindset which really rubs me the wrong way, especially in YA where we should be giving better, less toxic, depictions of relationships for younger readers.

All around, three stars, since a lot of my nitpicking is probably due to my age.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC! I loved this book! Everyone needs to read it. I highly recommend. I love the Filipino rep in this and I could relate to so many aspects of Lara's life. Flashback to all the Filipino parties I attended as a child 🥳 I love Lara and James' banter and they had such a playful love-hate relationship. Her relationship with her friends was so sweet to read about as well, even after how they ditched her for their boyfriends. There's so many great quotes from this book and the character growth is phenomenal. I love how Lara's story ends, even if it was not what I was expecting. I also think this is a great story to read if you're a teen struggling with the transition from high school to whatever you choose to do after. Great book! Go read it!

Let's start with what I liked:
The book truly made me laugh. It has the typical rom-com teenage romance type of humor that makes you both cringe and chuckle. The dynamic between the FMC and her grandma was amazing and the friendships aggravated me with how true it rang that friendships always change once someone enters a new relationship.

Now here's what I didn't like:
I typically don't read YA romance because of how juvenile characters and the plot always seems to be. This book unfortunately fell victim to the same. I truly did not understand how the FMC was secretly in love with the MMC while he's off flirting and kissing everyone in sight. I DETEST anything that gives off the vibe of "boys will be boys". This is always a common theme with YA romance and I just cannot relate to such basic archetypes of characters.

Overall, it was a nice enjoyable book. Pretty standard plot points so you know what you're getting yourself into.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the arc!

I adored this very thoroughly. One thing I was not prepared for, was just how much this book was going to punch me in the feels. I don't know what Loridee was doing, but I was a little weepy the whole time. This book spoke to me on so many levels. Friends with slightly murderous intent, perfect canadianisms, hockey being the main sport, not having a clue what you want to do with your life. It just had such great messages about feeling awkward, finding the point to start sticking up for yourself because you know that what you're doing isn't serving you anymore, and that there will be time for your future and you don't need to rush to get there.

I loved this, and I'm happy it filled such a lovely craving I was having for something coming of age that was hardcoare relateable. I will be screaming from the roof tops about this one... sorry not sorry.

Lara spends her summer vacation in the Philippines with her family. She couldn't wait to come back home and hang out with her group of friends. On the first day of school, she is in a world of surprise. All of her friends have boyfriends. And what's even worse, they all start acting crazy. Lying to her, forgetting about plans and generally not treating her well.

James, her long time arch-nemesis, kind of forces her into tutoring him. And with her friends always busy, they kind of start to hang out. And the more time they spend together, less she hates him.

Living in a tight-knit family is never easy, there is always some drama going on and with the end of high school, there is a lot of decision to be made.

It is a story of growing up, finding your own place in the world and finding love in an unexpected place.

I loved reading the book. The writing is very addicting, I found myself scrolling through the pages till the very end. There is a lot of humour and pranks at the begging are hilarious. :) It's very relatable and so so engaging. While reading I felt like I was right there in the middle of the story.

One thing I didn't like was the ending. Not to be spoilery, but it felt like a cop-out, having a fight over something so silly, especially if they tried to rectify a similar situation at the beginning and actually made fun of it.


Thank you NetGalley & Wattpad Books for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.