This was such a cute YA book! Thank you netgally for this arc. I enjoyed reading their story! Talia Hibbert always writes adorable stories but with depth and emotion.

A friends-to-enemies-to-friends YA romance, with ex-high-school besties making a tentative truce in the name of working together to secure a prestigious scholarship. As in her adult novels, Hibbert folds in themes of neurodivergence within a diverse and multi-layered cast of characters as both MCs learn more about themselves--and each other--and what it means to come of age.

Truly a master class in YA romance and a book that made Talia Hilbert an auto-buy author for me. I never thought a YA romance would have me kicking my feet like this, but here I am. Such a sweet read.

🌸I find it highly suspicious how unfairly cute this book turned out to be. (Corny? Yes ik lol) Did I read the ebook and went out and bought the physical so I can tab? Yes, yes I did 🥰
🌸According to Celine Bangura, she and Bradley Graeme have always been enemies except for when they weren’t and were actually BFFs, and now she’s not quite sure what they are. When they’re both selected to participate in a survival retreat to win a scholarship they realize that they have to work together. In order to do so effectively, they decide to put their rivalry aside and call a truce. Eventually their truce turns into a friendship that have both characters questioning their feelings.
🌸I like how realistic the dialogue and interactions between the characters were. I liked how we followed the characters in their everyday lives as teens and saw their other friendships without losing the plot. Because of that you also come to love the other side characters and the friend group they created.
🌸It was beautiful seeing how supportive the characters were to each other when it came to their mental health and personal struggles. I loved how Talia handled each character and their mental health/struggles with care and didn’t seem to just throw them out there to show representation. You really got to understand how they were affected and how they coped.
🌸I also liked that the romance wasn’t the main plot of the book and that Talia put a lot of emphasis on the characters’ self development by choosing themselves and what they love over pleasing others and succumbing under parental pressure.
🌸The one thing I disliked was the miscommunication that happened but I’m happy it wasn’t dragged out several chapters and it was resolved very quickly.
🌸Overall super cute read would I read it again? Absolutely.
🌸Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

this was SUCH a fun romance novel! i laughed, i (almost) cried, i screamed! i got so attached to these characters. I hope talia writes more YA novels!

It's been awhile since I've read this book but I know I really enjoyed it. I hope to be better about reading books when they are published and making sure to review them on netgalley when I finish them. Thank you for understanding.

I will admit that this book took me a little bit to get into, but once I did I was hooked. This book was so cute, and the banter between the two main characters was so fun. I also really appreciated the mental health representation with conversations around OCD and therapy.

I don't read a lot of YA, but this is one I really enjoyed!

So I found this one to be a little too YA for my taste - the characters make some interesting choices, but this is quite literally a YA so it is probably written for the perfect audience. (They do mention sex and curse a few times but nothing crazy so it probably fits the high school age perfectly) Outside of the YA, this one was super cute and had me laughing out loud. Highly recommend for the adult readers who need a break from steam or people who just love a good rom com.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this story. My review can be found on storygraph, goodreads, amazon, barnes & noble and my instagram (@manymerrybooks).

This was super cute - it did take me a while to get into. At about 20% in i couldn’t put it down and was rooting for all the characters at the camp to get the scholarships they were going after.

I felt that the author did a great job at making the problems the characters were facing extremely accurate to the age they were in. Relationships and friendships do change during school and age transitions and the struggles the MCs were having were accurate and normal for their age.

I tend to not enjoy YA books because they’re not realistic or accurate to what teenagers go through, and this book was realistic and still extremely enjoyable.

I will definitely be revisiting this author.

5 Stars: I loved it

Genre: YA, Romance

You may like this book if you like:
Emma by Jane Austen
To All the Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han
Lovely Complex (Anime)

Summary: Celine and Brad have been ex best friends and mortal enemies since a fight in their youth. Their interactions consist mainly of petty insults and academic rivalry until the two apply for a survival course in the woods that could result in a full ride scholarship for the top “explorer”. As they work together to win, they heal their bond and their relationship grows into something different and new.

Thoughts: This book was wholesome and adorable. The whole cast of characters was great. Our two main characters, Celine and Brad, are very lovable but also struggled with issues such mental illness and abandonment which I thought were handled with care. I loved the banter between Celine and Brad, I thought they were very funny and literally laughed out loud at times. Their relationship is very sweet and tender. I wouldn’t say this book was exciting per se but it was cozy without being boring.

While I’m not the demographic for this book, I legitimately enjoyed reading this as an adult and I’m sure I would’ve liked it had I read it as a teen. Talia Hibbert has flawlessly transitioned her style from adult romance to YA romance. I’m not sure there’s a book by Talia Hibbert that I wouldn’t love at this point.

"Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute" by Talia Hibbert is a delightful romantic comedy that is as charming as it is heartwarming. The novel follows the unlikely love story between its endearing protagonists, whose initial animosity soon gives way to sizzling chemistry and undeniable attraction. With her trademark wit and humor, Hibbert crafts a tale filled with laugh-out-loud moments, swoon-worthy romance, and genuine emotion. Readers will find themselves rooting for the quirky yet lovable characters as they navigate the ups and downs of love and relationships. "Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute" is a feel-good read that is sure to leave a smile on your face long after you've turned the final page.

I think my opinions on this book are more to do with me not being interested in YA contemporary romance anymore rather than the book having inherent problems. I generally love Talia Hibbert but there was just something with this that did not click for me. I liked the characters and thought the chemistry was decent, but I found myself not loving it as much as I had hoped to.

I enjoy everything I’ve read from Talia Hibbert, and this was no exception. Though I don’t read tons of YA anymore, I did have a pretty good time with this one. It did drag a bit in the middle, and I thought it was a tad too long, but overall a fun read.

Talia Hibbert does not disappoint with her foray into YA literature. Her characters are fully realized and I loved watching their growth from rivals to lovers. I will read anything she writes.

This was a very cute read. I highly recommend. The characters were lovable and the story was very interesting.

Really cute and I enjoyed the romance so much! After loving Talia Hibbert's Adult novels, I was excited to dive into her YA and I'm not disappointed. Will definitely be recommending this one for people to read!

I'm a big fan of Talia Hibbert's Brown Sisters series and was curious to see what her first dip into YA would be like. Unfortunately, it was just okay for me. I liked our MCs as individuals overall, but didn't really care about them as a couple.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so cute and compulsively readable. I am not always the biggest fan of enemies to lovers, but I could just tell from the beginning I was going to enjoy the ride. You can feel their chemistry, their long history makes the slow burn so delicious, and I really enjoyed the forced together on outdoor trips vibe that really makes the space for romance to ensure. Loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me review this book! This book was super cute and I believe I can say I liked it better than the brown sisters books Also by talia hibbbert. I would give it a 3.5.

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Talia Hibbert is an amazing author and wonderful at world building. I loved this book so much and look forward to more by Hibbert.