I always find Emma's writing charming and her characters relatable. I also love university setting and the premise of this story is *chefs kiss*

3.5

I wasn’t sure what I would think of this book, since I didn’t love the other book I’ve read by Emma Lord, but I wanted to give it a try anyway because the synopsis really appealed to me. This was such a sweet story about growing up, finding true friendship and learning what’s most important in life.

I took far too long to read this, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless. I really loved seeing Andie’s growth as a character, and I felt like she was a very likable main character. I adored her friend group and reading about their college experience was so fun. I expected more romance, but what we did get was really sweet🥹 I felt like I could see a little bit of myself in each of these characters and I think that’s what really moved the story along for me, since I just loved reading and learning more about them so much.

I did feel like this story got a little slow at times, but that honestly could just be me not wanting to read it at that particular time because I’m a mood reader🤪

Overall I really enjoyed this story and I personally liked it much more than the other book I’ve read by this author. It felt more mature, I loved the found family aspect, and I found myself much more interested in the storyline. It wasn’t a 5 star read, but I would still recommend it to anyone looking for a heartwarming story about a group of friends navigating those first years of adulthood and finding their paths in life.

Thank you NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Begin Again by Emma Lord was such a fun read! I started this one in the evening and almost read the whole thing in one sitting. Alas, one must sleep.

I love books that almost feel like a "coming of age" movie. Loved the writing. Loved the characters. Loved the plot execution. This book makes me want to go check out the rest of Emma Lord's backlist.

The main character Andie transfers to her boyfriend's university (also her mom's alma mater) so they can be together only to find out that he's transferred to her campus. That mini-synopsis was enough to have my rom-com loving self hooked.

Andie could very well have been set up like a "not like the other girls" type of girls but she wasn't and I'm sending a hershey's kiss to the author for that. Andie Rose is a perfectionist, she's sunshine incarnate, she loves people and she loves helping. Andie Rose is also a volcano waiting to erupt with a host of mommy issues, daddy issues, boyfriend issues, falling-in-love-with-your-RA issues and identity issues all wrapped up into one. The way each of her issues is explained and resolved unraveled so naturally that I have no complaints and I usually have a lot of those.

Not to mention her friends felt like real friends. They got screen time and character development. Her love interest Milo is her friend before anything else. And this kind of friends to lovers just hits. He was there for her every step of the way and the level of supportive this man was????? Where is my Milo, huh???

I really enjoyed this book and the only reason there's 1 star off is because I wanted to see more of the main couple be a couple after getting together. Not everyone cares about that but it's just something I like before we get the epilogue.

Anyways, I loved being extremely right about the bf. I'm glad my red flag sensors are still working great.

As always, thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Andie transfers mid-year to Blue Ridge State at the same time her boyfriend transfers OUT to go to her community college. What could possibly go wrong?? :) Emma Lord does it again - writes a YA book with heart and a big dose of real life too. Her coming of age stories always have a big dose of reality but also often has wonderful community. We all go through hard things but when you have people who are there for you, it makes those hard things much more manageable and that's what is at the heart of this story. It did feel a little long at times but there's a lot going on so it didn't feel like it dragged, just felt long. It was wonderful on audio and perfect to have on all day as i was lightly doing other things around the house. Another solid YA hit from Lord!

Emma Lord is the reigning queen of the young adult romance genre, and I was really excited to see that "Begin Again" straddles the line between young adult and new adult. Her books are fantastic for readers of all ages and I'm thrilled to think that she might be finding a wider audience with "Begin Again," because this is a book that deserves to be read widely. It is so well written, so honest, and so relatable for anyone navigating those tough years of finding your own path, learning what it means to be an adult, figuring out how high school romances will fit into your "new" more adult life, and ultimately discovering what it means to be true to yourself.

Andie Rose has always been the girl with a plan, and her first year of college has been no different. She busted her butt to be the only freshman transfer accepted at Blue Ridge State after being denied in her first round of applications. She's thrilled to be taking the first real step on her path to becoming a lauded self-help guru.

She didn't anticipate, however, that she might be the one needing help as she jumps both feet forward into her new school and life. Her relationship with high school sweetheart, Connor, has transferred out of Blue Ridge State to the community college she was previously attending, her classes are more difficult than she anticipated, and she's found herself paralyzed by the prospect of following in her beloved mother's footsteps at her alma mater. Andie's mom started a pirate radio station, and now in the wake of her death, Andie feels duty-bound to live up to the legacy she's left behind.

Andie's joined by roommate Shay, who desperately needs to choose a major, RA Milo, whose caffeine addiction borders on concerning and who, if she's being honest, gives her butterflies she has never felt with boyfriend Connor. As she starts her tenure as "The Squire" assistant to The Knight on the still-running radio show her mom founded, Andie will have to give herself some of the same hard advice she doles out to her listeners, and maybe, just maybe realize that the best-laid plans may not be the right path forward for the paths we find ourselves taking.

A must-read for fans of the romance genre, and a sure-fire hit for middle and high school libraries, "Begin Again" is already a contender for the favorite romance of the year! Recommended for fans of Sophie Sullivan, Emily Henry, and Talia Hibbert. Special thanks to NetGalley and to Wednesday books for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy of "Begin Again" in exchange for an unbiased review.

this book is a story of finding ones self and I really like how are main character stood up for her self and went for what she wanted did she get scared yes did she think about running yes but with the help of her new friends she stick it though and i would love to see how she keeps making a name for herself

I thought this was a really cute YA contemporary romance. YA books are hit or miss for me. I love them but I like them better when they’re on the more mature side. I felt like this was on the younger side, considering the main characters were in college.

I found Andie to be a fun character. I loved her food name substitutes for swearing. I also enjoyed the fact her roommate was a bookstagrammer, that was awesome. I also really wanted to try all the different bagel types they mentioned, there was some that sounded so good!! This book also had some hard lessons to overcome. Overall, I really did find it cute! I think it would be perfect for younger adults going to college soon.

this wasn't as much fun as her other book Meet Cute, but it was still pretty cute. I love a good YA romance story, hope to keep reading Lord's books!

Begin Again is messy in the way only a good book knows how to reflect real life. Things do not always go as planned as Andie finds after not being accepted to her dream school. After successfully transferring from community college, her plans are further derailed when her boyfriend is not on campus for her to surprise him.

Lord successfully tackles so many things with this book including the grieving that never dissipates after losing a parent and trying to find a sense of belonging during a transitional period like the college years. Andie is a complex character who is trying to make the most of an experience she’s been planning most of her life. I was sent back to my undergrad years as Andie struggled with her insecurities including fitting in and being able to fill her mom’s shoes.

Luckily for Andie, she finds kindred spirits in Milo (her RA), Shay (her roommate), and Valeria (her tutor), who are facing similar struggles. All three were developed side characters, especially Milo. It was hard not to love him when he was grumpy but always had time for her.

Pick up Begin Again if you are a fan of
✨️the college experience
✨️realistic fiction
✨️new adult/YA romance

“Getting a new start doesn’t mean you have to wipe the slate clean. Just pick up the pieces. Begin again.”

Though I own several of her books, this one was actually my very first Emma Lord read. Did I enjoy it? That’s quite the understatement! This book was cozy, fun, and charming. I loved Andie’s grandmas and her new friends (especially Milo)! I should also mention that I caught myself humming Taylor Swift’s Begin Again more than once.

I discovered Emma Lord last year, and quickly fell in love with her writing. Her characters are always so loveable, and this story is no different.

This was her first book where the characters are freshmen in college rather than high schoolers. It was a fun change of setting. I enjoyed reading about the unique social culture of the campus, and loved the plot line of the radio broadcast. The author does a great job of bringing in heavy topics that are important for young readers to have access to, and she always includes a diverse set of characters.

Although the characters seem very “PG” compared to many early college experiences, I enjoyed reading about the main character, Andie, navigating a new space and finding her place in it. With the main Andie’s mother dying of cancer when she was young, her trying to make her mom proud (at the college her mom went to) and her life after her mother’s death are main themes of the book. I think Andie’s journey of self-discovery is a bigger theme in the book than romance, but I also loved the romantic interest in the story.

Whenever I pick up an Emma Lord book I can always count on hilarious pop-culture references, insane food descriptions, and a sweet romance. Begin Again, her first novel with college-aged characters did not disappoint. Andie arrives at college, determined to reunite with her long-distance boyfriend and find a connection to her late mother. She discovers almost immediately that Connor has moved back home, but on the bright side, she quickly becomes involved with the underground radio station founded by her mom. This also means spending tons of quality time with her curmudgeonly RA Milo...

While Begin Again was not my favorite Emma Lord book, it has plenty to offer to longtime fans or first-time readers of her work. Andie was an occasionally frustrating, but overall lovely character who experiences a lot of growth throughout the novel. Milo is a great grumpy counterpart to her sunshine energy, and I thoroughly enjoyed their banter throughout the novel!

From Andie’s type-A personality to long distance relationships to finding your true friends… there was so much to relate to in Emma Lord’s newest book. And I loved every moment of it.

Unlike her previous three novels, this one takes place on a college campus, and Lord makes me feel as though I’m going to school with them. I loved the element of adventure that was wrapped up in the secret societies and how much everything tied back to Andie’s mom – her own way of connecting with her.

And Milo… my heart. I loved his humor and his desire to care for people without seeming like the one who takes care of everyone. I loved his family, I hated the pain he’d had to endure, and I loved the friendship he developed with Andie and her roommate.

If you’re looking for a subtle romance with lots of character growth and a fun journey where you can relive college (without the stress of studying yourself), this is the book for you.

Tropes:
- Friends to lovers
- Slow burn romance
- Forced proximity
- Cheating (not by MC)
- Finding your true self

This is another highly enjoyable novel by Emma Lord. Like her previous novels, this one offers a modern, fresh take on a romantic comedy trope.

“𝔾𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒 𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕕𝕠𝕖𝕤𝕟’𝕥 𝕞𝕖𝕒𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕨𝕚𝕡𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕔𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕟. 𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕜 𝕦𝕡 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕚𝕖𝕔𝕖𝕤. 𝔹𝕖𝕘𝕚𝕟 𝕒𝕘𝕒𝕚𝕟.”

Consummate planner Andi Rose has it all figured out. Transferring from community college to her parents alma mater of Blue Ridge State, the pieces of her life are finally falling into place.

Then the pieces fall apart.

See, Andi decided not to tell her boyfriend, Connor her plan, preferring to keep her transfer a surprise. However, in an ironic twist, Connor has transferred, too. Now Andi is at his school, he is at hers, and Andi’s best laid plans have…well you know the rest of that one.

Determined to make the best what she hopes will be a temporary situation, Andi revises things. After all, Connor isn’t the only reason she’s chosen Blue Ridge. She hopes to recreate the magic of her deceased mother’s experience, eagerly diving into the time honored tradition of collecting elusive ribbons around campus. But working double time to gather ribbons for both her and the absentee Connor proves to be quite the challenge. Before long, Andi finds herself not so successfully juggling finding ribbons, finding friends, finagling grades, and most importantly, finding herself.

My favorite aspect of Begin Again was the first days of the college experience. I don’t feel like there are enough books that focus on this pinnacle time in one’s life, full of new relationships and responsibilities. Andi is fortunate in that she meets true friends right away. They’ve help her find her own voice, quite literally at the campus radio station. I actually loved Andi’s voice in general, especially when she got frustrated and uttered funny phrases like “flamin hot Doritos!” instead of obscenities. I feel like this added credence to Andi’s character, and a sweetness to the novel on the whole.

Begin Again is the perfect read for fans of starting over and self acceptance.

I thought this was cute, but I think it could have been shorter (there were points where it dragged). My main issue was that Andie was my least favorite character. I just don't think that a "fixer" kind of character is one I enjoy. I fully realize that I am not the target audience for this book, but I cannot help myself for the YA genre.

This was a cute, lighthearted read. I thought the characters were great, Milo was my favorite. While this was not my favorite by Emma Lord, I always enjoy her books.

While I really enjoyed this, it didn’t wow me like When You Get The Chance. That might just be me though. I was definitely in a funk while reading this.

I really liked the characters and the story. The author did a great job setting the scene. I’m always down for a coming of age story. Our MC Andie was likable for the most part, there were times I wanted to shake her for being so naive.

One of my issues with the book is that’s it’s being categorized as romance. I just don’t agree with that at all. The love story doesn’t happen until the very end.

Overall I loved the writing but the book was just okay. The story wasn’t super memorable and a little too slow for me.

If I am honest I didn't enjoy this as much as I had hoped. Just not my jam I guess. I thought the story line was ok but i caught myself bored at times.

Another hit from one of my favorite YA authors! Emma Lord always does an amazing job capturing the older-teen experience. Begin Again takes place during Andie's first year of college, picking up after she successfully transferred to her dream college. Blue Mountain State is a part of her DNA and she's hoping to follow exactly in her mom's footsteps.

As she stresses herself out trying to live up to her own expectations, Andie realizes she may need to find her own path. She gets help from her newly discovered group of friends and also her RA who is becoming a part of her life that she somehow can't live without.

This felt like going straight back to freshman year! Everyone experiences those struggles trying to figure out what you want and who you are after high school, so it was fun reading along as Andie went through the same thing. I loved the radio show piece and how Andie slowly starts gaining confidence in herself throughout the novel.

I really hate that I had to DNF this book. I've always loved Emma Lord, but this book did nothing for me. It took me about 2 months to get about 150 pages in. Andie was super annoying and so focused on her mom and how she lived then living her own life.