This is my first time reading anything by this author Talia Hibbert. I really enjoyed reading about childhood friends Bradley and Celine. Bradley and Celina were best friends until an event happen with the two of them and the they are now enemies. Bradley is a footballer dealing will OCD. Selina is a plus sized social media buff. I love the camaraderie going on between Bradley and Selina, these two are fabulous. Selina signs up for a course in survival in the woods and Bradley is also there. The two have to get along and work together. As the two navigate there way from being enemies to friends shows that the two have grown in their lives which is great making this book that much enjoyable.

This was a great YA and I will be looking for and reading more of Talia Hibbert’s work.

I received an ARC via NetGalley and Random House Children's, Joy Revolution Romance | Teens & YA and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

IT WAS UNFAIRLY CUTE ALRIGHT! MY HEART IS FULL. highly suspicious and unfairly cute is a very well written childhood best friends turned rivals to lovers young adult contemporary romance. it's everything you want in a book sets in highschool too. the giddiness i experience while reading celine and brad banters was very unreal!!

I was excited for this book, and while it was cute, it missed the mark for me a bit. I enjoyed the main characters and thought the friends to enemies to lovers trope was nice, but the characters read as very immature. I knew this was a ya book going into it, but they were still on the immature side even for that. Loved the positive family relationships and the whole idea of the competition. 2.5 stars, thanks for the ARC!

I was able to get this book as an arc from NetGalley, and it's another absolute winner. This is my first experience with Talia Hibbert, and what an introduction!

Cel and Brad are two mortal enemies who end up on the same combination camping trip/internship competition in their final year of high school. Friends in their childhood, they now avoid each other as much as humanly possible. Will the camping trip be enough to heal old wounds and get them to be friends again - or maybe something more?

This book is SO CUTE and I'm going to recommend it to literally everyone. Hibbert's dual perspective is precious and a hilarious look into both characters' teenaged brains. At the same time endearing and realistic, Hibbert does a wonderful job of showing Cel and Brad's journeys to understanding themselves and each other better. I can't wait until this is on our shelves and I can recommend it to my patrons.

3.5/5⭐

This was so stinking adorable! I loved Talia Hibbert's Brown Sisters trilogy and I was so excited to see that she was coming out with her first YA novel. This had all of the banter, humor, and heartfelt moments that you'd expect, as well as a good dose of mental health rep, finding your own path, and just pure fun.

The dual POV format worked really well; both Celine and Bradley are such likeable characters and their inner thoughts were so entertaining - I loved being on their journey with them! Brad in particular was hilarious and I really loved how he was written.

Reading this was such a great way to end the year - best friends to enemies to friends (who make out sometimes) to lovers is the trope I never knew I needed! There was less wilderness survival than I was expecting from the summary but I still enjoyed every minute of it and I can't wait to see what Talia writes next.

Thank you so much to Joy Revolution and NetGalley for the ARC!

I own the first book in this author’s adult romance series but haven’t had a chance to read it. We do have it in my school library as well and I’ve had students who really liked it. But I’m very excited that there is now a YA book by this author to add, because sometimes I have to be careful about adult books or similar in my library due to all the challenges these days.

This book grabbed me right away and I think the students will be happy I got it as well! I really liked both characters. Celine had enough of the nerdy girl vibe, but also was confident enough in herself that she could deal with anyone thinking that way about her, for the most part. She was dealing with some family issues though, specifically her father abandoning the family. Bradley was a jock, but also a bit nerdy himself. He also had his own personal issues, specifically his OCD.

But what I loved was that both characters, even while having the shortcomings and worries and overreactions of a normal teenager, also were able to treat each other with kindness in areas they knew were specific hot spots for the other. One example was how Celine would seemingly unconsciously adjust or do things to help or make Brad not feel strange for his OCD actions or thoughts. Another is how Brad knew how she felt about her father, and really did things to help her not feel that way as much as possible.

And then there was the banter. It was perfect, I loved the snarkiness, how the two of them, Brad especially, really enjoyed the banter as a form of communication, even flirting at times. The way Celine tried to end their budding relationship at one pivotal moment made sense and wasn’t blown way out of bounds even as I was so frustrated with her for doing that! And then the part at the end when Brad gets hurt? Oh my gosh! I was pretty emotional with him and Celine at that point!

The way the author wrapped the whole story up to give them their HEA/HFN probably as teens, was just perfect in my opinion as well. And I love that things worked out for both of them, if even not in the way they’d originally planned. Even with her rotten father, I feel the rest of both characters’ parents were realistic and fit the story as well. Oh, and looking at the cover you’d think there’d be a lot about her weight? Nope, it was just Celine, and I loved it! And how no one else made any kinds of remarks or anything about that.

I really can’t wait to get my finished copy of this one to add to my library for my students to love as well!

It was a decent book. Not Talia Hibbert’s best work but still enjoyable.
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute is a story of two teenagers who used to be friends, drifted apart after one became more popular, found each other again and fell in love. Celine is grumpy, sarcastic and a TikTok conspiracy theorist while Brad is a sci-fi writer who plays sports.
The book was annoyingly predictable, a little boring but still worth the read. There was a good amount of character growth which was nice to see.

This was an adorable YA contemporary romance. It was fun watching Brad and Celine reconnect on their adventures. I enjoyed Hibbert’s adult romances so I was excited to get a chance to read her YA.

Celine and Bradley used to be best friends but now they’re polar opposites. Celine jumps at the chance to participate in a survival course in order to show her dad that despite him not being a part of her life she is going to make something of herself. She just didn’t realize she’d be competing with Bradley who’s only participating for the scholarship.

I liked the friendships and the setting was fun. I loved the support that both Bradley and Celine had from their parents who were involved and each had a sibling that brought a lot of light to the story. I would recommend this book to other YA contemporary romance readers like myself!

I love Talia Hibbert's writing (the Brown Sisters trilogy is *chef's kiss*), I love romance, and I love a well-written YA novel, so I was super excited for the chance to read an e-ARC of this book. I was a little hesitant when I realized that a good portion of the story takes place as the MC's try to survive in the wilderness because, I'll be 100% honest, I am an "indoor activities" kind of gal and would probably not fare so well if I was asked to survive in the wilderness for several days. But, it turns out I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Brad and Celine and their cohorts as THEY embarked on a wilderness adventure that was part of a survival course created to encourage teamwork, leadership, commitment, resilience, and relationship building.

There are some heavier topics, like dealing with OCD and parental abandonment, but mostly the book is filled with well-developed & flawed yet lovable characters, witty banter, found family, laugh-out-loud moments, and the roller coaster of friends-to-enemies-to-lovers.

I definitely recommend this book. It was absolutely adorable and kept me smiling.
Especially recommend if you like:
- Dual POV
- Plus-size rep
- OCD rep
- Tropes: Grumpy/Sunshine, Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy of this book.

This book was so freaking cute. A YA following ex-best friends as they are forced to work together in a competition for a scholarship. The characters had real issues they were dealing with and it was so easy for me to relate to some of the things that Celine was working through. The banter between Brad and Celine was so fun and snarky. They used to be best friends but fell out a few years ago and now whenever they are in the same room together their very intelligent selves quickly dissolve into toddler like antics.

I absolutely enjoyed this book and am so glad I had the opportunity to read it.

Very cute read but I think I’m just not in the YA mood so it isn’t working for me right now. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook.

Adventurous, charming, laugh out loud funny, with amazing writing from dual POV and fun characters you want to root for.

4.5 stars. This was super cute. A great lighthearted YA romance with characters I immediately fell for, especially Brad. Really appreciated the OCD rep. The whole “I love this person but refuse to acknowledge my feelings” thing is not my favorite, and I found it a bit frustrating after awhile, even though it did make sense for the character. I was also not the biggest fan of the falling out at the end, but those are minor quibbles with a book I really enjoyed and definitely recommend. I hope Talia Hibbert has more YA books to come!

To no one's surprise I absolutely loved this book. Talia Hibbert's writing is just really engaging. I was immediately sucked into this book and it did not let me go until the very end. I immediately fell in love with the main characters. They were just so much fun and I really thought their own personal journeys were interesting to follow. The dynamic between them was also EVERYTHING. They from the start had very witty banter and I loved that you could tell they were into each other even when they supposedly hated one another (I mean, most of their insults towards each other were actually compliments). I also really liked how their relationship developed. My favourite thing about this book though is that the reason why they aren't friends anymore isn't kept a secret from us for too long. I liked that we knew it pretty early on and we actually saw our characters work out, instead of it just being a "forgive and forget, but not really because it's going to come back later to bite us in the ass" situation. I also really liked the setting of the survival camp. I thought it was really fun. I also really adored the cast of side characters. They were all really fun and I loved how it really brought this book to life. So yeah, I adored this.

Thank you so much to Random House Children's for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As an avid fan of The Brown Sisters series, I knew I needed to read this book. I love how Talia Hibbert portrays neurodivergent characters in her books and in this one we need to talk about Bradley Graeme. A bisexual teenager who has to deal with OCD and the occasional not-so-good intrusive thoughts.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute is a juvenile story with a lot of TikTok references hence my rating because it just didn't feel the same as the other ones I've read. But don't get me wrong, I loved this book. I love how sweet and empathetic Bradley is and how he manages his thoughts as a teenager. However Celine... It was complicated. She's not very loveable as a person but I guess she's just a teenager. And that's how teenagers act sometimes: annoying and stupid. Nevertheless, she's definitely a good person that needs to learn how to express her feelings without hurting others and, ultimately, herself. So, in this book we see friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers having a camping experience while discovering new perspectives about life, love, and friendship. And sure, Talia Hibbert's writing which, I believe, is enough to make you read this book if you're a rom-com fan.

Will you ever find me in the wilderness? Absolutely not. Will I read about two teens, on the precipice of adulthood and all its responsibilities, who find themselves in the wilderness to develop resilience, commitment, creative, thinking, relationship building, and leadership skills? Absolutely YES!

Celine and Brad were absolutely delightful (not the right word, but you know what I mean) 😂 They’re both witty, and just scathing towards each other! They used to be BFFs, but now they’re not because… reasons of course. Reading them having a go each at other was hilarious. They weren’t perfect by any means, but I feel they were so well written! I highly recommend this book because though it dealt with heavier topics, the banter and the character growth was just lovely to see. Celine’s dad can fall down a cliff

Thank you so much to the author and @tbrbeyondtours for my review copy and allowing me a spot on the tour! I am in no way influenced in my review. Make sure to check them out for future tours🤩
https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/

𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕤:
✨ I am weird, Bradley, and I don’t care. Sorry I’m not pathetic enough to fake my entire personality
✨ His behavior is his choice. You can’t control other people
✨ I always thought it was my duty to make my father feel the weight of what he’s done. It never occurred to me that he’s suffering already

Thanks so much to the publisher for sending me an arc of this. I’ve been a fan of Talia Hibbert for a while and was excited to read her latest work. Even though this is a bit of a departure from her previous work with it being YA, it still has so many elements that I love about her work. This was cute and extremely delightful. I love the mental health rep and the friendships Celine and Bradley were able to form with the other explorers.

- HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND UNFAIRLY CUTE is Talia Hibbert's YA debut, and what a joy it is. Hibbert's adult romance novels have the best banter, and this book is basically solid gleeful banter all the way through.
- Celine fits right in to the Hibbert pantheon of smart, headstrong women. I loved how driven she was, even when pointed in the wrong direction, and seeing Brad gently help her reassess was so lovely.
- I loved that Brad had OCD, and that instead of this being a discovery and diagnosis story, he already had a fair handle on it and was shown on the page using his techniques to combat intrusive thoughts.

I loved the Brown Sisters trilogy that Talia Hibbert wrote. I loved the way she captured characters who were mentally ill and plus-size. That representation continued in Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute.

Brad has OCD and does seem to manage it very well. There are a few moments where those around him notice his compulsive behaviors, but Celine steps in to deflect in a way that supports Brad. There is a moment where Celine playfully punches Brad on one shoulder and then punches his other shoulder to even out the sensation. Brad tells her appreciatively that he no longer needs that, but it is lovely that Celine makes sure to do that for him. There is no moment where Brad’s OCD defines him or the way others see him.

I have a soft spot for the academic rivals to lovers trope, and Hibbert does it expertly. Celine and Brad used to be best friends, but they fell out when Brad made new friends on his football team and made Celine feel left out. Hibbert clearly sets out what caused the rift, and it’s hard to blame Celine for feeling hurt by Brad. They are able to talk about what happened and agree to be friends again before it slowly blossoms into something more.

Brad and Celine have such a sweet relationship. It feels so appropriately high school. Jordan, Brad’s best friend teases him that he’s in love with Celine, and Brad denies it but does say that he’s “a tiny bit obsessed with the idea of kissing her.” When he learns that Celine returns his feelings, he compares himself to a labrador puppy.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute doesn’t take itself too seriously. The book is narrated in alternating sections by Brad and Celine, and Hibbert writes them in a way that is both funny and always authentic. It always sounds like a teenager speaking. When Celine throws mud at Brad, Brad observes: "There’s a visceral splat as it hits my chest, and I see satisfaction on her face for about 0.2 seconds before the expression vanishes like a snuffed-out candle. Her jaw drops. Her eyes are wide. She’s a bit like that painting, the one with the scream." The description is funny and paints such a clear picture of Celine’s reaction.

I had a great time reading Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute. I hope Hibbert continues to write YA because this book is so sweet and fun and addresses important issues.

Bradley and Celine have my whole heart. Friends to rivals/former friends back to friends to romance? Okay! I loved the entire concept. Brad and Celine were friends once then they grew apart and are now begrudgingly working together to survive an outdoor survival competition in the hopes of winning a scholarship. I thought it was a super fun book and I really loved the way OCD was portrayed in the story. I think so often an author will get it wrong and Talia Hibbert gets it so very right.

The book has the right combination of character growth, all the feels and humor and is an excellent romance for the young adult audience. I love all of Talia's books and this one really had me swooning.