A quick read, but one I felt compelled to finish, unlike some "teen romances" I've read recently. I liked the backstory of Saine and her mother and their need to upend their lifestyle, even the pretentious Holden grew on me. Realistic teenage dialogue and scenarios too.

Thank you for the early e-arc to read!

This one was a rather unique read. I liked that Saine was into making documentaries and that she kept being pushed into being around Holden. This story was full of miscommunications and assumptions which frustrated me some. I just wanted to sit the characters down and MAKE them talk it out. I was a fast read and I was compelled to keep reading. I think I read it in 2 sittings?

I'd recommend to contemporary fans especially ones that love high school dynamics and miscommunications.

𝟑 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

𝐏̳𝐋̳𝐎̳𝐓̳

𝐀 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐬 follows 𝗦𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗿 (h) as she applies to the Fiona O’Malley Documentary Pilot Program at Temple University. To complete her portfolio, she needs to showcase her camerawork by directing a film; therefore, she is determined to get a perfect story that will land her one of the fifteen spots of applicants accepted to the program. However, when her original documentary subject bails, she asks her former childhood best friend, 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹𝘀 (H), who happens to be her best friend’s ex, for help as her new subject. As the two reconnect and bond over their documentary, Saine notices that Holden is being secretive, and she worries about the potential of her film without an emotional impact. Moreover, she worries about her friendship with her best friend if she continues to hang around Holden and old feelings arise again. As the deadline for the film approaches and events become messier, Saine is forced to reconsider what is most important to her and what it means for the relationships in her life.

𝐂̳𝐇̳𝐀̳𝐑̳𝐀̳𝐂̳𝐓̳𝐄̳𝐑̳𝐒̳

Saine Sinclair (h) — would do anything for the sake of a good film even if it's not a great choice, which may be perceived as “selfish”

Holden Michaels (H) — you might find him with a camera taking pictures for the yearbook and would do anything for his little brother Trevor

𝐓̳𝐇̳𝐎̳𝐔̳𝐆̳𝐇̳𝐓̳𝐒̳

The banter in this book was EVERYTHING and one of the most enjoyable aspects of their dynamic, especially when they were not a couple yet. There are underlying feelings, and their “dislike” for each other is the hidden attraction that the two attempt to fight for a while. I adore books where the banter persists even when the romance develops, and this book was EXACTLY that. There was so much more to this book than the romance, such as grief, loss, friendship, economic struggles, etc. Holden and Saine often had situations of miscommunication, and YES, it could have been prevented if they sat down and talked about it, OR if they made different decisions, but I think it makes this book realistic. Again, they are teenagers, and they will make mistakes, and their choices will not always be selfless, but that is where there is room for character development and maturing.

The heroine might be unlikeable various times, and it had me questioning her actions; however, I think it all deals with the growing process, so I don’t fault her for that. Often, I didn’t agree with her decisions, but I understood her standpoint, and the book was interesting nonetheless. Do I wish she had made different decisions? YES but I’m glad she had people to help her see why she was wrong and made her reconsider her position on situations.

𝐎̳𝐕̳𝐄̳𝐑̳𝐀̳𝐋̳𝐋̳

If you like childhood best friends to “enemies” to lovers with GREAT banter, then this is a book that should be added to your TBR. Despite the events that made me angry at the heroine, I managed to enjoy this book and would most likely reread it again for the scenes between Saine and Holden. Their dynamic is wholesome and the two complement each other so well, especially with their history.

This book was kind of a disaster but in a good way? Rodkey put us right in the middle of the action from the beginning and left of us there, sometimes forgetting to explain key elements of the story or giving background details for the characters until later in the story.

Cute YA romance-adjacent. I wish there was a little more development of the back story of the main character, Saine. Felt like I was supposed to know things I didn’t.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This had a good premise thst grabbed me but ultimately, there were unlikable characters and unrealistic plot developments. It also wasn't just a fun rom com as it seemed it would be.

🎥 What's a documentary that changed you life? 🎥

Can we talk about the cover of this book!? 🥰 It grabbed me right away, and I couldn't wait to dive into this book!

📝 Saine Sinclair knows what she wants to do after high school, and that's to attend the Documentary Program at Temple University. In order to get one of these coveted 15 spots, she must submit her very own documentary.

Unfortunately, things don't go as planned, and she has to team up with Holden Michaels, her ex BFF. Not to mention that he's her new best friend's ex boyfriend! Things get a little messy, especially when her long-term feelings for Holden come into play. Can she stick to the plan, or does her plans change?

What I 🤍:
🎞 Unique Documentary Storyline
💙 Body Diversity Representation
😢 Detailed Grief Process
☺️ Adorable Little Sister

This book is more about growing up and handling grief. The book summary made it seem as if it's only a romance (which there were parts of that), but other themes took more precedence in ADITA. I really appreciated having a plus-sized heroine, and the characterization of a mother who would sacrifice everything for her daughter.

I had a lot of problems with this book though. The first being toxic friendships. To me, I felt her best friend was controlling and sometimes used money to hold power over Saine. It also felt as if her friend made everything about her, rather than trying to understand where Saine was coming from. FYI GIRLS....your BFF should never be someone that you feel you have to keep secrets from or feel like you have to keep score.. I also felt frustrated how sexual activity occurred due to peer pressure from friends. Saine was always trying to please everyone else around her. Additionally, sometimes I felt the instances of talking about weight felt a bit cringy.

Prince's Rating: ⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Steaminess: 🔥 (Closed Door Sexual Activity)
Read if.....➡️ you like young adult fiction or documentaries.

I wanted to love this book, but some parts really made it a one and done book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Teen Publishers and Kelsey Rodkey for a copy of this book. These are my honest opinions and thoughts about ADITA.

What a cute read! I really enjoyed that the author created a realistic world of high schoolers where they are overscheduled and overworked and trying to achieve everything and anything. I enjoyed the characters and the sub plots full of controversary and heartbreak and having to make adult decisions when it seems too early to make. Definitely a must read for high schoolers on the verge of the next step (and those of us who love being transported into their world).

I was able to read this ARC of A Disaster in Three Acts and I would rate it a 3.5 stars.
If you like childhood friends, to enemies, to friends, to lovers... This might be the book for you! Saine is a smart girl and she is very involved at school and has a lot of cool hobbies. Overall she seems like a fun character and so does Holden. He is caring, vulnerable, sweet, and thoughtful. The choices and conversations these two have throughout the book make me want to slap them in the face! I am not a huge fan of miscommunication, or even with things that are with held that make the situation unnecessarily complicated. But that was a lot of this book.

Things that were enjoyable about this book:
-Lots of plot that kept things interesting
-There were quite a few very likable characters (Holden, Trevor, Kayla, Mara)
-Great relationship between Saine and her grandmother and Saine and her mother's relationship was enjoyable to watch throughout the book too. Seeing them grow closer was heartwarming
-The relationship building between Holden and Saine was sweet, and the memories from when they were kids was endearing
-The ending was decent

Things I didn't like about the book:
-Saine was VERY unlikable throughout a lot of the book (there were times when I just wanted to stop reading because she was so frustrating)
-Once she figured out how to stop being such a jerk, it felt like her character developed too quickly (all of a sudden all of her faults were fixed? it felt rushed, I wanted to see her become better throughout the book more)
-I HATED the scene with Victor at the party (ew, why? it just felt out of character too...)
-Corrine was also a pain and not likable either
-At times there was too much plot, it felt like things kept popping up and getting weird or complicated for no reason...
-I didn't think Holden and Corrine would come together that quickly or work together if that makes sense
-Often times the characters were built one way, to do things completely the opposite later and their growth or changes didn't fully feel justified

Thank you for giving me the chance to read this. I really wanted to like it, but Saine was the reason I set this aside at 30%. I realized at that point that I couldn't take reading Saine's sarcasm and dramatics anymore. I know high schoolers are dramatic and ruled by emotions, but Saine was over the top and lived upon dramatics. Instead of a high schooler, she came across as an eleven or twelve-year-old experiencing their first account with puberty and acting out because of it. I wanted to finish this, but Saine was what disconnected me to the text.

This book is for every teenage girl with control issues, who wants to control the narrative, who wants to be liked by everyone.

Things I loved:
1. Saine is plus sized but it never enters her head that her size is the reason she doesn’t have a boyfriend.
2. Major nostalgia from my childhood male bestie
3. I could see this being a kick ass Netflix movie
4. Holden. Swoon.
5. It’s messy and complicated.
6. The girl power. Female friendships can be easily dumbed down by “breaking the girl code”- but that’s not the case here and I loved it.

Things I didn’t love, but liked.
I wanted more out of the final confrontation. But I am really please with how the book wrapped.





Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC to review!

A Disaster In Three Acts is a cute young adult romance story I couldn't put down. Saine and Holden were inseparable growing up until one misunderstanding ruined their friendship. The two begin to grow closer when they have to rely on each other to help with a project they are working on. True feelings start to surface but Saine is hesitant to show Holden how she feels since he is the ex-boyfriend of her best friend. Great Story adorable character I can't wait to read another book by Kelsey.

Very cute book and I love it's actually split into 3 acts. Definitely recommend if you want some fluff and some really serious stuff as well. I lobe that it felt real and how things are uncovered as you read along without it feeling too obvious.

Saine is getting over her grandmothers death as well as navigating high school and college applications. She needs to make a documentary for an application to the college she wants. With a weird twist of fate, she needs the help of her former best friend (who also happens to be her current best friend's ex boyfriend.)
Opinion
I've read both of Kelsey Rodkey's novels. The first one, I picked up without knowing anything about her writing. This one, I actively sought. Not only do I love her writing style but they give me a taste of home. Her books (so far) are set in central Pennsylvania, where I grew up and went to college. I absolutely love reading about places I went to and hung out at during my formative years. (Sheetz run anyone?)
This book was a great read. Following along as Saine realizes what she has done and what she was willing to do can certainly make a person think about what they, themselves, have done. Of course this book ends with a happy ending but it was touch and go for a bit, making the happy ending that much more sweeter.
I highly recommend all books Kelsey Rodkey, and this one in particular.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book.

When I saw inconvenient crush as a trope in the synopsis, I was like "I gotta request this one". I was immediately sucked into this book. Saine is a relatable frustrating teenager, and I thought making her filled with this terrible attitude was a perfect portrayal of a real-life teen. Filled with amazing friendships and a good enemies to lovers trope, this one was a good read for me.

YA romance that centers messy, difficult girls is one of my favorite things in the world, and after Rodkey's debut, I had very high hopes for A Disaster in Three Acts, and it did not disappoint. Realistically teenage and complex characters, sweet and slow burn romance, and complicated friendships.

I read this book over the span of two nights, because it’s fun and so easy to get sucked into to. Saine may come off as a brat to some, but her feelings about Holden and the loss of a family member and moving into a smaller place all feel so real to me. I love that she’s hard headed and flawed and definitely messes up a lot. Holden is also just a delight, who deepens as the story goes on and you can’t help but adore him.

Obviously Mara is hilarious and adorable and a tiny lil gay.

If you like banter, extremely cranky main characters, and an incredible cast of side characters—definitely pick this up!

This was a YA book that follows the journey of Saine Sinclair and her childhood friend, Holden.
Saine and Holden were best friends for years until an unfortunate game of spin the bottle in middle school... Saine was all in and it appeared that Holden.... was not.
Now Saine is an aspiring documentary maker and Holden may be her only hope of completing her college entry assignment. Except now Holden isn't just her "former friend" he's also Saine's best friend's ex-boyfriend. Needless to say, things are a little touch and go...

I like Saine's relatability and Holden's personality was so likable! I love that HE was the one open with his feelings and emotions, advocated for therapy, and all the other relational things that are stereotypically left to the female character. There were times I would find myself frustrated with Saine's attitude or standoffish-ness and then I would remember that she is a TEENAGER so I couldn't expect her to handle situations like an adult. I love that this was a YA novel that felt geared towards Young Adults - the content was not too heavy or mature and the relationships felt very authentic and age appropriate. Overall a funny, endearing, heart-warming book about life, love, and the decisions we make.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperTeen for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

You need a laugh? Read this book. You need a good cry? Read this book. You need a supportive feel-good romance with so much character development? Read this book.

This is an amazingly impactful friends to enemies to lovers book and I really can’t describe just how great this book is.

It hurts, but it heals too! There are moments when you really just want to press “pause” and hope that when you start back, everything is magically okay again. The character development is soooo emotional for several characters.

I would 100% read this again, and will most definitely be recommending it!