Talia Hibbert Perfection

Brad and Celine are enemies who used to be friends but who probably also love each other.

I loved the representation of OCD and therapy as well as the discussions of parent abandonment and the impact it can have. These heavy issues were beautifully explored through a combination of honesty, humor, and understanding.

Both characters has fabulous inner monologues and self awareness that also still felt age appropriate. And their adorably sweet feelings for each other were perfect.

Talia Hibbert's first YA romance was a hit! I was super excited to see one of my all time favorite romance authors (Get A Life Chloe Brown Series), Talia Hibbert, had a January 2023 Release!! Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute did not disappoint.

High School Senior Celine is a type-A, valedictorian-esque, daughter of single mother Neneh (her lawyer father left as a child) who is determined to study corporate law in 'uni.' Her mentor, Katherine Breakspeare, has a camping expedition that will result in a full-ride scholarship and the BEST networking opportunities if she were to win (also Celine's dad is a corporate sponsor, perfect opportunity for Celine to show her dad how much he messed up). Celine's ex-best friend/mortal enemy Bradley Graeme also might join in on the expedition. Can they work together in order to survive the wilderness without sparks (romantic OR otherwise) flying?

SO CUTE.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I really enjoy Talia Hibbert’s writing and have loved the books in the Brown sisters trilogy so far, so knew that I had to read her new YA romance and it doesn’t disappoint! It was fun and witty and I really liked the characters. This is a book I would have loved to read when I was a teenager, it’s really just such a good YA romance.

I would recommend!

I love anything Talia Hibbert writes. And this was no different. As far as I know, this is her first YA. And if it isn't, it is the first of hers that I have read. She did such a good job with characters and such a fun plot. Enemies to lovers? Yes please! Rivals are so much fun! And you can feel the animosity slowly melt away the longer you read. There were a few instances of eye rolls when things were a little too political from the authors stand point. Like she had to add in stuff for worldly purposes. But that was just a few. And the book overshadowed it becoming an issue.

Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions contained within are my own.

Y’all know that I am, first and foremost, a reader of fantasy. It’s my home, my comfort genre. But in 2022, I started exploring a genre I hadn’t really delved into much: romance. In doing so, I discovered the work of Talia Hibbert, a Black romance author who writes some of the best banter (and steamy scenes…) I’ve read in my romance journey. So, when I discovered she was going to be having her YA romance debut in 2023, I was curious. Then I saw the cover, read the synopsis, and knew I wanted to get my hands on this book!

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute is a friends to rivals to friends to lovers (say that five times fast…) romance that follows our two main characters, Celine and Bradley. Celine and Bradley used to be best friends when they were younger. Then, Bradley threw his lot in with the popular kids and Celine was having none of that, so they part ways. Not amicably, mind you. Now they are sworn enemies who constantly snipe at each other whenever they are within a five foot radius. So, imagine Celine’s surprise and disgust when Bradley ends up signing up for a survival camp right alongside her. Now, they need to work together and, wouldn’t you know it, silly feelings start to get in the way.

After reading this book, I can confirm that I want to read any romance that Talia Hibbert writes, whether it be adult or YA. The wit and charm that I always felt leaking from the pages of her adult romances transferred effortlessly into this YA offering! I loved the banter between Celine and Bradley and the inevitable tension that formed once they were back in each other’s orbit. It was wonderfully written to the point where I verbally said (to my phone as I was reading) “JUST KISS ALREADY!” Love when a romance has me rooting for the main couple so much that I get heated about it 😂 Honestly, I just love Talia Hibbert’s writing in general. It’s engaging, fun, and incredibly heartfelt.

She also knows how to craft some amazing characters! Celine and Bradley are both such fascinating leads in this story. They are interesting, complex, flawed, and just so human that you instantly become invested in their love story. I thoroughly enjoyed how much we get to see their internal struggles as they try and figure out not only their feelings for each other, but life stuff in general. I think that’s an important aspect to highlight in a romance geared towards teens, especially older ones who are at the same stage of life as our main characters. I know reading helped me to process complicated feelings about life and my future when I was that age and I think that this book is a great mix of that and escapism. It’s something I would gladly give to my own teenaged daughter to read and I think she would love it.

And can we talk about the great rep in this book?! We have two Black leads, which *chef’s kiss*, yes, more of that, please. We have casual queerness (you love to see it) and mental health rep. We have characters casually talking about therapy like it’s normal because it freakin’ is. This book is a smorgasbord of much needed and beautifully integrated representation that we need more of in YA books in general and certainly in YA romances. I, of course, can’t speak to the OCD rep as I don’t have it, but the author was recently diagnosed with OCD, so I like to imagine she handled it well.

Overall, this was a stunner of a book that had me feeling a lot of feelings as I sped through the pages. It was light and fun, but also touched on some important topics that I think are important to showcase in books for teens and young adults. The banter was A++, the tension was beautifully done, and I was invested in this love story. In the end, Talia Hibbert has found her way to my ‘favorite authors’ list and I cannot wait to read whatever she comes out with next!

This was such a cute book! I loved watching Brad and Celine’s love grow and was cheesing the whole book. It was my first by the author although I know she is pretty popular! So now I plan to read her other books because I loved this YA romance. Yay for my first read of the year being a good one. Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc 🫶🏽⁣
4/5 ⭐️

Ok.

I will admit that I’m not the intended audience for this ya romance. So take my review with a grain of salt.

I have read The Brown Sisters trilogy by the same author and was very excited for her YA debut. I was equally excited to see that one of the main characters has OCD. I was diagnosed with it last year and have struggled to get myself to a functioning point again. I will say the OCD rep was from the point of view of someone who has already received treatment and is closer to the “recovery” stage than I am or may ever be. I feel like Bradley’s state of mind is one I hope to aspire to one day.

What fell flat for me was the connection between Bradley and Celine. I felt like there was a lot of talking but not a lot of plot to keep me engaged. Also, the myriad of pop culture references took me out of the story. As I stated above, I’m not the intended audience. I feel like a teenager may love all the things I didn’t. I’m a huge Hibbert fan but I think I may stick to her adult romances.

It was very different for me reading a YA book from her instead of a adult romance BUT I still really liked the book and it’s told from two different perspectives. Only reason I didn’t rate it a five star is some areas of dialogue seemed choppy at times.

Talia Hibbert does not miss and that is a fact. This book was adorable, hilarious, and just overall perfect. It carries the signature Talia Hibbert charm which means these characters are going to be occupying my every waking thought for the next few months at least.

The ultimate goal for Celine Bangura is to get a scholarship and a good-paying job and to shove her success in her father’s face. Yet, the existence of Bradley Graeme proves to be a distraction for Celine in her ultimate goal. After these two former friends have a falling out, it results in an intense rivalry for Celine, but for Bradley, their falling out results in resentment. So, as these two become Breakspeare Explorers, they have to work with each other and try to succeed in gaining a full scholarship.

*Minor Spoilers*
I have to admit that I rarely read YA Romance, but Hibbert writes compelling protagonists. These two protagonists’ main worry is their future, especially with college expenses. Perhaps it is because I am pursuing my Master’s Degree, but I understand that gnawing anxiety regarding paying for school and navigating your life around paying back student loans…it is a struggle. Even though I am not too fond of the requirements associated with gaining the scholarship, during the Sherwood Forest expedition, our protagonists start talking about their falling out and becoming closer. Yet, Celine struggles with trust due to her father leaving the family and finds herself weary of trusting Bradley again. As Celine tries to scrutinize her reasoning for not trusting Bradley and rethinking her plan for vengeance against her father, Bradley struggles with his newfound feelings for Celine.

If you want a cute read about former friends turned enemies turned into a cute and supporting couple, this is the book for you.

Thanks again to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an

A few months ago I was looking through Amazon looking for new books and guess what I spy a Talia Hibbert YA Romance that so had to go on my wish list. I had already read the Brown Sisters Books and know that when Talia writes about disability is always on the money. I know this after reading Get a Life Chloe Brown I got an EArc of it and even though I was excited it took me a long time to read it as I knew it could well trigger me. You see at that time I was going through the process of being diagnosed and her book helped me to begin to come to terms with it.

Now let me just talk about the main characters of Celine and Bradley were top notch and the banter between them and their side characters was on an epic scale. I also loved the glossary at the front of the book that had me howling with laughter and it clearly showed that Talia was having a great time and I love that.

if you are expecting me to tell you more about the book then I am afraid to disappoint you by saying this will not happen. Instead I will tell you that I loved this book so much I bought it for my Kindle as Talia is an auto buy author for me. If Talia wrote a shopping list out I would read that too. Please can we have more books from this world maybe following other characters as it be sad if it was a standalone. You already know what star rating I am going to give yep 5 stars and I knew that after just reading the glossary that I was in for a great time and I did.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute is a friends to enemies to lovers YA Romantic Comedy novel. This genre is not my usual genre as a reader and I absolutely enjoyed it. Talia Hibbert is a great writer and makes dynamic, believable and relatable characters. It was really great to see the characters realize their and their flaws and also give in and admit that they wanted to change. In real life, doing that takes so much maturity and trust in yourself. I love that the characters look like me and the author and has subtle cultural references. This book was so cute and I loved Brad and Celine equally.

This book was so funny and sweet! Talia Hibbert is an incredibly talented author and this book is another example of the wit and adorableness that’s in her books! I found my self writing down quotes from this book so often because it was so funny! I absolutely adored Celina and Brad’s relationship and really rooted for them to get over their prides and be together!
The serious moments were done really well. I appreciated the level of care that was taken to talk about both OCD and the trauma of abandonment.
This was the perfect mix of comedy and a heartfelt romance.

✨ Review ✨ Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert; Narrated by: Amina Koroma, Jonathan Andrew Hume

I think my enjoyment of YA romances is fading throughout my thirties, but I still really enjoyed this one. Hibbert's writing is relatable and honest, especially re: relationships and mental health. The characters grapple with OCD, anxiety and stress, and familial trauma throughout this book. Hibbert, as always, handles these topics with grace and care.

Celine Bangura and Bradley Graeme were best friends as kids but went different ways as they became teens. In this book, they end up side by side again as they enroll in a wilderness survival/leadership program. In places, this book made me giggle and roll my eyes, and I was invested in them as a pair. The book was sweet, but also not necessarily in a disconnected way. In one of my favorite moments, Celine dismisses virginity as a social construct, one that she refuses to comply with. 🔥 Celine's a total badass of a 17-year-old, and her personal growth throughout the story was really lovely.

The audio narrators were fantastic and their emotions really brought this story to life. The accents especially alongside the story / age of the characters was bringing me Sex Ex (Netfix) vibes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: YA m/f contemporary romance, bi and mental health rep
Location: UK
Reminds me of: Sex Ed
Pub Date: out now!

Thanks to Random House Children's, Joy Revolution, Libro and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

Having read all of the sister books, I was really excited about this release. The characters are cute. The dialogue is cute and snappy, which I expect from Hibbert. While I will recommend this to my students there was something sort of clumsy about the teenager plot. I’m not sure if it was all the people involved or what, but it didn’t resonate with me overall.

I love the confidence in Celine and the vulnerability in Bradley with his OCD. Enjoyed the friends to not friends to friends to relationship storyline. The side characters were everything and drew my attention every time they were on the page. While I did enjoy my time with this I do think I prefer Talia's adult novels more.

This is absolutely Unfairly Cute!! I really love Hibbert's dialogue. The characters here not only always felt age-appropriate but also had really snappy banter that was super easy and fun to read. In true Hibbert fashion, the characters are racially, sexually, and ability diverse without feeling like checkboxes on a page. This was total fluff. Yes, there are underpinnings of mental health issues and parental trauma, but it's handled in a very soft way that doesn't feel dismissive but also doesn't bog down the fluffy narrative. Talia Hibbert is a magician that way.

This was really cute! I loved the setting and the banter of this one! Not to mention the cover is super cute. I could have gone without the Kanye and TikTok references though.

This was SO CUTE! Brad is just so sweet and kind. And Celine was such a quirky badass. I loved them both. I got this ARC a little bit ago and I just got around to reading it! Worth the wait because it was so sweet. Talia Hibbert does YA and it’s wonderful!

4/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

Cute, quirky, and easy to read. That is how I would describe this book. I will add that I think this book could've done a lot more with the plot and characters, I think for me I would've liked the book to go deeper into these characters. It felt kind of surface-level to me. Keeping in mind that this IS intended for Young Adults and is not supposed to be a super detailed book. I had a fun time with this cute YA romance. I really enjoyed my overall experience and just had a fun time relaxing with this book. I would absolutely recommend it for a fun, cute contemporary romance.