This first foray into YA territory for Talia Hibbert was adorable! it retains all the banter and great relationship development of her old books without the steam. I really enjoyed the characters, Bradley is adorable and Celine has so many quirks yet is a wonderful quick as Young woman through out.

If there’s one (or two.. or three) thing(s) you can count on when picking up a Hibbert? It’s banter. Also, chemistry. Also also a variety of diverse representation. And while she’s shifted gears to a younger target audience in this, her debut YA, all of those things are still very much present here.

I don’t think this is going to be a very long or articular review because I’m swimming in that glowy squishy “I have no notes” feeling. Though honestly? My one complaint might be the ending. In the sense that.. it ended. Rude. But also it is one of those quicky endings that does maybe feel, just a bit, abrupt.

Everything else? So great. The aborted friendship, which became a nemesis slash enemies situation, only to revert back to friendship, and then more? Each stage was so well done, feeling gradual, natural, and genuine. These characters felt so real, so alive, but that’s typical Hibbert, too. I will say, though, that I think Bradley was my favourite of the two leads. He is just such a sweet cinnamon roll of a human and I appreciate everything about him.

Also, while there was some element of a complicated family dynamic present, it was a different spin of things I’ve seen done in YA before and I loved it. I loved all the dynamics, actually, familial and sibling. Big win there.

How many other things can I say I enjoyed or loved? Probably lots more. But instead, I’ll just say this : read this book!

This was SO CUTE!

this quick and easy YA readI I've always loved the friends to enemies to lovers trope so this was right up my alley.

Bradley and Celine used to be best friends and now they can't stand each other. But when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods and Bradley also goes, they have to learn to work together again.

Of course they learn that they might not dislike each other as much as they think. If you loved her Talia Hibbert's Brown Sisters collection then you will most likely love this one.

Thank you to Net Galley for the Arc. All opinions are my own.

Truly delightful YA romance featuring fun, flawed characters who genuinely care about each other. The secondary friendships were also terrific, and the camp setting was terrific. I would enjoy reading more YA books from Talia Hibbert!

This book was SO cute! I am not typically a big YA fan, but this was truly adorable. The title is perfect for it. The characters were absolutely adorable. Driven, flawed, self-aware characters and their relationships are even cuter. The dynamics and growth, both personal and in their relationships, was great, although not always realistic. Overall a really cute, fun YA read.
Bradley is a football player, top in his classes and manages his OCD well. Celine is a social media influencer, top in her classes and the opposite of cool. They were best friends until Bradley abandoned her (Celine's opinion) and now find themselves avoiding one another. Until they are forced to work together on a survival course in the woods. They both have a lot at stake, so must open up past wounds in order to win the grand prize. Will they be able to move forward and forgive past wrongs in order to carve a path in their future? 
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I would say that overall this book was consistent with previous Talia Hibbert books that I have read. If you loved her Brown Sisters collection then you will likely love this. If you are like me and felt the Brown Sisters collection fell a bit flat then you will likely feel the same with this.

This was a quick, cute fun YA read. I enjoyed that none of the characters were perfect and were all dealing with the regular teenage stuff along with some neurodivergence. One of the things that threw me off were some references that seemed too old for teenagers (though I got from being in my 30s!). Overall I love this author’s writing.

This is Talia Hibbert's first foray into YA and I think she did a wonderful job. I love a good friends to enemies to lovers story and Bradley and Celine were both great.

Bradley and Celine used to be best friends but then a rift happened between them and they're not friends. Not even close. When Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods and Bradley also goes, they have to learn to get along again. Or at least work together. What they end up learning is maybe they don't dislike each other near as much as they've thought.

Celine was such a confident heroine and I loved that. Bradley was a sweetheart and I think Hibbert did an accurate job depicting his OCD. Loved that representation. I enjoyed this one a lot and the end left me with a smile on my face.

“Me and Celine, we’ve been best friends. We’ve been enemies. We’ve even been a secret. But right now? Right now, we’re everything. Anything. Whatever we want.”

Seventeen-year-old Celine Bangura spends her days creating TikToks about conspiracy theories for her 32,000 followers, acing her classes, and definitely not thinking about her ex-best friend, Bradley Graeme. Ever since their falling out several years ago, Celine and Brad have been enemies, exchanging insults and rivaling each other at academics. But when they both sign up for a leadership survival course, they’re forced to spend quite a bit of time together as they compete for a uni scholarship. While trekking through the woods, Celine and Brad also find themselves plodding through their past—both the messy and the good bits. So when sparks start to fly, can they let themselves trust each other? Or will things between them always be highly suspicious (and unfairly cute)?

HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND UNFAIRLY CUTE is exactly what you’d expect from a Talia Hibbert young adult novel: cute, sweet, hilarious, and deeply emotional. To say I enjoyed it would be a severe understatement. From the glossary to the acknowledgements, Hibbert dives straight into humour and heart. Celine and Brad are fantastic protagonists, both working through their own obstacles and so realistic. I also loved the cast of side characters, from Brad’s football mates to Celine’s quirky BFF to the friends they make in the woods. As a hardcore Brown Sisters fan, I can tell you with absolute certainty that Talia Hibbert is phenomenal in both adult and YA. Do yourself a favor and read HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND UNFAIRLY CUTE right away! You can thank me later ;)

Content Warnings: Strong language, divorce, infidelity, absent parent, hospitalization, OCD, anxiety, bullying

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

Talia Hibbert’s Brown Sisters books were among the first romcoms I’ve ever read, so when I heard she was making her YA romcom debut I jumped at the chance to read it early, and OH my goodness, this book did not disappoint. Celine is a rising TikTok star who makes videos about conspiracy theories. Bradley is a popular footballer with OCD that he works hard to manage. And despite being best friends as kids, they’re now mortal enemies. But when they both sign up to go on a wilderness expedition in hopes of winning a scholarship, they’re forced together again and have to confront the reasons behind their falling out.

I am highly suspicious of how unfairly cute this book was!!! (I’m sure that joke has been done but please let me have this). It was full of hijinks and wit and SO much charm I smiled the whole way through it. Sure, a lot of Cel and Brad’s problems could have been resolved with a conversation, but because they were teens protecting their hearts and their friendship I wasn’t annoyed about it the way I would be with an adult romance. This book comes out January 3 and you’re going to want to snag a copy.

Thank you to @netgalley and @joyrevbooks for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely adored. Couldn’t get enough of the relationship between Brad and Celine. Totally relatable in many ways. The banter and emotions were perfect.

This was so much fun! Having loved Hibbert's Brown sisters trilogy—which set a very high bar for adult contemporary rom coms for me—I was highly suspicious for her YA debut (see what I did there?).

But no need to fear! Because this was the perfect combo of snarky/sassy, charming and heartwarming. This was laugh out loud funny, true to Hibbert's style.

It's a friends to enemies to lovers teen romance with academic rivalry mixed in. Very fun stakes! Celine's and Brad's complete disdain for each other was so captivating. The way Celine was committed to hers (and his) role(s) in their rivalry was hilariously executed. In a "how dare he speak kindly to me—or at all—because we're supposed to be ~enemies~" kind of attitude. They truly seemed to find enjoyment in outwitting one another and getting under each other's skin. The banter was on point 👌🏽

I easily rooted for Celine and Brad from beginning to end—as individuals and as a couple. I truly cared for them and wanted them to find success, happiness & be in good health. Their POV's gave a lot of insight to their development. I was intrigued by their family dynamics, motives, inner thoughts and anxiety over their life decisions. I'm reminded about that crucial life-changing time of transitioning from teen hood to adulthood, and the pressure that can come with it.

Enjoyed learning about their friendship backstory. Both were hurt and misunderstood by each other. And even though they went their separate ways years ago, you can see how their intolerance for each other masks the care they have for each other deep down. I loved seeing elements of that care reach the surface and surprise them.

Celine and Brand were authentically themselves, and I loved that for them. They owned who they were, but were also receptible to growth opportunities. I admire them! And I appreciated the emphasis in caring for one's mental health, no matter what part of that journey you're on. Hibbert shared her OCD diagnosis in her author's note, and you can see how she wrote Brad's character managing his OCD with such care. Celine too.

Really enjoyed this one! Hibbert captured the world of teen friendships and young love so well.

[CW: abandonment, mental illness, bullying]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joy Revolution for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: parental abandonment, living with OCD, school/career anxiety, broken arm, a bit of a tumble off a cliff

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f YA romance
-bi rep
-childhood friends to rivals to idiots to lovers
-wilderness competition
-forced proximity
-it is rude how attractive I find you
-the one allergic to all feelings and the one who feels everything
-just freaking adorable

Talia Hibbert took all of her snarky and sparkly adult romance writing skills and just easily transferred them into this amazing YA that I honestly adored. Bradley and Celine on paper look like opposites yet fit into all of the puzzle pieces each other, just seeing each other and understanding each other and their dynamic was funny and just adorable.

I adored Celine's snark, her understandable inability to trust, and her complete drive. And she definitely had no time to deal with her ex friend and now academic rival Bradley. But these two are forced to spend more time together than just their classes when they both decide to pursue a wilderness competition for an academic scholarship, and the friends they make a long the way.

Bradley and Celine, with their history, knew just the right points and words that would sting the most. These two both dealt with how scary falling in love is for the first time and i just enjoyed it all while they were like okay we'll just kiss one more time. Both were so soft for each other in accidental ways. Watching these two accidentally fall in love and figure it out was just fun, battery and just full of the sparkle that Talia just excels at.

I honestly can't wait for Talia's next book she is just a powerhouse.

Steam: 1

I’ve read some of Talia Hibbert’s adult books and absolutely adored them, so requesting her YA debut was a no brainer. Once again, Hibbert succeeds in creating a funny, heartfelt romance that I can’t get enough of. Her characters are complicated and lovable and definitely not perfect, which makes them even more fun to read.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute has everything I expected from a Talia Hibbert book -- incredibly endearing characters, satisfying character growth, delicious banter and representation of mental health that is both positive and enlightening.

The book follows once friends now enemies, Celine Bangura and Bradley Graeme, as they both compete in an outdoor expedition in order to win a prize scholarship. Through the trials of said expedition, their friendship rekindles and turns into more.

Celine's prickly demeanor contrasted with Brad's charm was so much fun to read -- I couldn't get enough of their chemistry and banter. Even more though, I loved how they both acknowledged their wrong doings in their friendship in the past and growing to make their relationship now even better. A+ character growth. I love to see it.

I think the best way to describe this book is to say it has a lot of heart and you can feel that in the characters, the story and in the writing. It's a joy to read and unbelievable cute. Dare I say, unfairly cute.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 25%. Normally I don’t mind a YA (I prefer adult romance) but something about this just felt extra young to me. All of the social media references felt too much and I couldn’t connect with the characters. I do love enemies to lovers with witty banter so I enjoyed that much while I read but unfortunately just not a book I could vibe with.

Talia Hibbert's first young adult book did not disappoint! Celine and Bradley used to be best friends and then a fight separated them. Now they can barely stand each other and find themselves competing for the same scholarship. I loved both Celine and Bradley! I loved their banter and their journey through all of the hurt feelings and misunderstandings. They also each had their own issues to deal with that I thought were handled beautifully.
I will definitely be recommending this book for purchase for the high school library! I really think students will love Celine and Bradley as much as I do!

Does. Talia. Hibbert. MISS?

The answer is no.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute was so stinking adorable!

Celine and Bradley were sweethearts to read, and I really enjoyed their hilarious back and forth as they navigated the highs and lows of teenaged angst, learned to give themselves some grace through their struggles, and also, well, fell for each other in the midst of it all. And not just our mains! Every character (um, actually, there were some losers sooo MOST aha) added their own sort of charm, and it made reading all their cute and silly and sometimes serious interactions with our protagonists and each other a damn good time.

Throughout the entirety of this book, I laughed out loud, giggled, kicked my feet, squealed, and even got a little emotional. A lot of care went into this from the absolute fluff of it all to the OCD rep and the importance of caring for your mental health and treating yourself kindly. The dialogue was fantastic (you know I’m a sucker for that good ol’ witty banter), the plot was fun and heartwarming, and overall, I just really enjoyed how the entire book came together.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute is out January 3rd, 2023 friends! Pick up a copy, and hopefully you’ll love it as much as I did!!

CW: grieving an uninvolved parent, anxiety and mild panic attacks

I love Talia Hibbert and was so excited to see that she had written her YA debut! Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute follows Brad and Celine as they compete for a prestigious opportunity- a full scholarship to help them pursue their dreams. Yet they have unresolved history that is bound to make itself known as they are forced to rely on each other and adventure through the great outdoors.

I devoured this book! Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute is funny and heartfelt. Talia Hibbert can truly write it all! Of course, the romance is scaled back from her adult books, but there is just as much pining and tension. Celine and Brad are the type of characters you wish you could be friends with in real life- they’re delightfully nerdy and relatable. Having a friendship break-up is rough and I loved how they had to work together to repair that damage, before they could move onto something more.

There is great OCD rep and LGBTQ+ rep (bi/queer) as well. Brad has many strategies that help him deal with his OCD, while showing how difficult it can be to manage. Celine is considering therapy as she works through the complex reasons behind her planned career choices. The entire book is extremely inclusive and shines a positive light on mental health and self-care. On a personal note, I was THRILLED to see a (side) character with celiac thriving and living her best life! Better than gluten-free bagels that don’t taste like cardboard.

Read Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute for a hilarious, heartwarming romance! I can’t wait to read whatever Talia Hibbert writes next! Thank you so much to Talia Hibbert, Joy Revolution, Random House Children’s, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Oh Brad and Celine have my heart forever and ever.
The banter = top notch! I kept highlighting lines and wondering why I hadn’t thought of it yet
The mental health rep= I loved! Brad has OCD. I do not but having a brain that does spiral often, Brad’s inner monologue was very very honest and so relatable.

This book was funny and witty and so so sweet. It was so adorable and had me feeling warm and fuzzy.

Another Talia hit! But that was expected

Thank you to NetGalley and JoyRevolution for the eARC