Love & Other Great Expectations by Becky Dean was an adorable read! This book was so sweet! I'm not usually a big YA fan but this was such a good story! The author had an amazing way of making you feel like you were really in the UK. Overall a great read and highly recommended.

This YA features a senior that has spent her whole life dreaming of soccer. An injury rocks her world and suddenly she is lost with no direction for the future and no scholarship for college.

Her English teacher proposes a quest/scavenger hunt in England with a writing competition intertwined. There’s a huge cash reward if she wins. She takes on the challenge against 3 other classmates.

It’s an adventure as she travels abroad and sees many literary tourist spots. She has obstacles along the way and discovers herself more and more.

It’s a YA…so of course she meets a cute boy and he goes on the adventure with her. It’s kinda a slow burn and insta love at the same time. I would have liked a little more maturity and depth in the story. Throughout the book I just wanted to yell “kiss already!” Three stars for me.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley. It’s a cute summer read.

This book was so sweet. Im not usually a big YA Fan but this was such a good story! you felt like you were really in the UK.

Thank you to Penguin teen Canada for a gifted eARC in exchange for a honest review. This book was so adorable!! Traveling to England and a scavenger hunt that is literary themed! So much fun!! Britt is such a unique character and I found her so hilarious and quirky. This book does a great job of showing friendship, learning about yourself, and growth and growing up.

A huge thank you to Delacorte Press, Random House Childrens, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
.
I love scavenger hunts, and the idea of doing one across the UK based on literature seems like a dream. I will freely admit that I have never been a large reader of classic British literature, so I likely would have failed Britt’s tasks without access to the internet. I actually found it interesting how quickly Britt was able to solve clues (even while using Google) when she claims to have not read any of the books for class. She claims to “not be like other girls,” but also comes across as very much like your classic teenager. She is trying to find her way, figure what to do in college, discovering young love with all of the awkwardness that comes with that. Britt built her identity around playing soccer, and now that it’s not an option she needs to get her feet back under her to move forward.
.
Dean created a fun world, perhaps a bit implausible but what else is fiction for if not imagining what it would be like to go on an adventure, seeing the UK with a cute boy, and potentially winning $100,000 at the end of it. Al and Luke are good foils to Britt, and her other classmates kept you guessing how they are connected to her outside of the classroom. The nods to classic literature are well-built and made me want to go back and read some of them again without the pressure of high school. This is a great book to check out if you are looking for a quick Summer read.

When you think you lost everything, A scavenger hunt with a game of tales in the same vein as Canterbury tales. The winner receives $100K for telling the tale of all tales. As a former ELA teacher, I loved the nod to Canterbury Tales. And Britt’s end tale was an interesting take on the C Tales.

Britt was full of snark, keeping herself distanced from everyone due to her father abandoning her family and her. Luke was a nice love interest, not sappy or boring. He brought the best out in Britt. I would like to see what happens with Britt and Luke after the scavenger hunt.

A cute story following Brit and Luke. They were both going through their own obstacles when they met. They understood each other really well and helped one another grow and accept the changes happening in their lives and what effect it had on their future. Their romance grew with the story and was a cute story to see flourish even though sometimes it was a bit frustrating to see Brit’s thought process when it came to Luke.

The title of Love & Other Great Expectations piqued my interest, and I’m glad it did. I recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, quick YA read with classic literature references and European travel.

Note: Thank you to Netgalley & publishers for allowing me access to this arc in exchange for an honest review! Please note that all opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I honestly haven’t read too many young adult books this year but there was something about this book that drew me in. The idea of a literary-based scavenger hunt competition throughout the UK is a book lovers dream. I’ve always loved wanderlust in books and this one just made me want to explore all of the places Britt got to visit. There was something so fun and whimsical about her adventure but also something extremely meaningful in this story of Britt finding herself.

If you’re someone who loves classic literature, you will have a blast with all of the references in this book. Even though I’m someone who hasn’t read too many of the classics, the way scavenger hunt clues and tasks are connected to various authors and stories is so creative and a lot of fun. This book honestly made me want to travel and go on a scavenger hunt of my own.

We also get to focus on the dynamic of friendships, family dynamics, and most importantly (at least to me) romance. I really loved the touch of romance because they were friends above all else and didn’t take away from the story but I also couldn’t help but root for them to kiss. I really enjoyed the way this book ended and would definitely recommend it to someone looking for a young adult book about fun, adventure, and a touch of romance.

This book was loads of fun (in a YA feeling way)! I feel like the connection between the main characters was developed nicely. The cute cultural/travel elements really tied everything together.

I found this literary scavenger hunt to be an enjoyable treck through English literature (memories of high school senior English!). The competitors are required to solve clues and it was rewarding to think through the solution with them.

Britt immediately begins a journey of self discovery, learning how to make peace with her past and approach her future after a serious accident and diagnosis. Weaving the scavenger hunt and her personal journey together was done effectively. I found myself wondering “how will this end,” which is a compliment to the author.

The secondary characters stood out, which is what makes the story richer and more humorous. The end of story reveal about her teacher was a fun surprise!

I would have liked a bit more backstory about Britt’s family (her father) before the scavenger hunt began.

Thank you to NetGalley, Becky Dean and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to review.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

I throughly enjoyed this book. England, classic literature, what’s not to love. The premise is different and pretty amazing. A i totally recommend this book to anyone.

I absolutely adored this book!
I had so many high hopes or expectations one could say, going into this novel. I'm happy to report back that this book was everything that I wanted it to be and more! This book contains so many amazing themes which include; cross county travel, cute British boys, British literature research, and a cutesy YA love story. This book just warmed my heart and I would highly recommend if you enjoy YA contemporary and coming of age stories!

With summer officially here, I've definitely been craving some travel themed books. That element was one of the things I enjoyed the most about Love & Other Great Expectations. I loved learning about all the interesting places Brit and Luke visited and how they were connected to classic literature. The descriptions were well done and the atmosphere of the writing made it easy to picture each historic site. The characters all had their own backstories but I wish that we could have delved more into them. Especially when it came to Luke and Brit. I think I would have been able to connect with them a bit more if I had more time to get to know their personalities better. That said we did see some development from Brit. I enjoyed the aspect of her trying to refigure out her life after her injury. It shed light on the idea that sometimes losing a dream can be devastating, which I haven't read about much in YA.
​
Overall a cute read with fun bookish references but I would have enjoyed getting to know the characters more.

Love & Other Great Expectations by Becky Dean is an entertaining journey through England in a scavenger hunt that is based on British Literature. I loved the idea of classics guiding the characters’ travels, and the main character’s unique problem-solving skills are entertaining to read about. As each challenge in the scavenger hunt makes classic literature more enjoyable and encouragers the characters to think about the stories as more than words on a page, this is a great read for both book lovers and more reluctant readers.

For Britt, reading has always taken a backseat to playing soccer. However, when she injures her knee and loses the opportunity to play soccer in college, she jumps at the chance to travel to England with her English teacher and a few of her classmates. When the group arrives in England, they learn that they must complete a scavenger hunt inspired by classic British literature for the chance at a cash prize–a cash prize that could help Britt pay for college. As she works to outsmart each of her competitors (and meets a bookish boy along the way), Britt’s knowledge of British literature as well as her knowledge of herself are put to the ultimate test.

❀ ENJOYABLE MAIN CHARACTER

Britt is an enjoyable main character, and her journey is satisfying to read about. I really felt for her, as she has built her identity around soccer, and without it, she has lost her sense of self and a clear path for her future. What I especially enjoyed about Britt is her ability to problem solve in ways that are unexpected. While Britt isn’t the strongest student in English and isn’t a big reader, she is smart and finds unique ways to document her experiences. On the trip she learns more about herself, and I enjoyed reading as she slowly finds a new purpose and direction for her future.

❀ A LITERARY ADVENTURE WITH A PURPOSE

One of my favourite parts about this book is the way the author integrates classic literature and makes it entertaining. As the scavenger hunt is inspired by British literature, the characters must use their knowledge of the texts to solve the clues. However, Becky Dean takes it a step farther and presents clues and challenges that are designed to make the characters understand themselves in different ways. I loved the way Britt’s teacher encourages the group to really think about the texts’ relevance to their own lives, and I enjoyed the way these challenges bring the stories off of the pages. Making the classics entertaining and approachable is always interesting to me, so I was impressed to see this literary adventure with a greater purpose.

❀ AN ENTERTAINING JOURNEY THROUGH ENGLAND

Love & Other Great Expectations by Becky Dean is an entertaining journey through England, guided by classic works of British literature. I loved the idea of a literary scavenger hunt, and the main character has excellent problem-solving skills. As the challenges within the story are designed to get the characters to apply each text to their own lives, this one is a great reflection on the power of literature for self-discovery.

It's like Becky Dean wrote Love and Other Great Expectations with me in mind! This adorable YA book is all the good things: a graduating senior whose life is thrown for a loop before she is invited to participate in a scavenger hunt focused on the literary greats of the UK. Britt accepts her teacher's invitation to fly to London for a 10 day adventure even though she didn't really read all of the required reading for her last year of English. That's what Cliff's Notes is for, right? On her first assignment she meets the very cute, very British Luke. On a whim she invites him along, he accepts and is that romance in the air? 😂😍

Being a gal who has spent a portion of her days in London and Scotland, I appreciated the inclusion of Ribena, classic snacks and mushy peas. In my mind's eye I could see all of the landmarks described and enjoyed trying to figure out the clues before reading on.

I highly recommend this book for ages 12 up or anyone who is looking for a light, adorable, up-lifting read that takes you on a trip across the pond.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's Publishing for an advanced copy of this book for my honest review!

I'd love to be able to read the book but I've tried multiple attempts to get it on Kobo. It won't show up. Will not be reviewing after all. Sorry I tried!

A clean, sweet YA story centered on a literary scavenger hunt. Four recently graduated high school seniors are invited on an adventure to follow clues around England and Scotland. They're competing against each other, and the winner is the one who best summarizes the hunt and what they've learned over the course of the week. The first place award is $100,000. Britt's point of view is used to tell the story. With a soccer scholarship to UCLA and hopes to play professionally, she had a bright career ahead of her. She had the abilities until a knee injury led to the discovery of an illness that prevents her from pursuing that goal.

I was reminded of 13 Little Blue Envelopes by the format. While the setup is ridiculous, I enjoy deciphering the hints (I got all but one). The connection to great literature and authors adds to the appeal. The teen characters are likable. That is to say, they are bright, articulate, and everyone has their own financial goals. Teens, on the other hand, can be self-centered. I enjoy how the author teaches Britt that things aren't always as they seem. She has a habit of walking away from people before they can walk away from her, which makes her impulsive.

Britt is a people person who can talk to anyone, and she is a person of action. Her personality wasn’t at all what I expected, but she was perfect for the heroine, and I loved that she was unexpected! Luke enjoys books, and in one of his first scenes he talks about fairytales and why they’re important, so I immediately loved him as the hero. Both Britt and Luke enjoy helping people in different ways, and it was sweet to see that play out throughout the book.

This is a fun YA book that is geared toward the younger end of the YA readership.

*Thank you to Netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

I want to start by saying I did not finish this book. I got about a quarter of the way in and stopped. That being said, I am still giving this book 3 stars, because I only stopped because this book was not for me trope wise. The writing was fine, and the premise was original. Im just not a fan of younger YA romances and the insta-love trope. It was a cute adventure story, perfect for lovers of Dickens, Austen, etc., and for those okay with a book that really doesn’t delve a whole lot in to characterization. If you want a fun quick read and that trope doesn’t bother you, give it a read!

Britt is living my dream! Traveling all over the UK and falling in love with a hot British man.... oh to be living that life!