There were aspects of this story that I didn't exactly vibe with, so I DNF it. I just wasn't in the right headspace for this story. When I'm feeling up to it, I may finish it and update my review.

This was such a treat and a delight! I knew right after reading TWEET CUTE, but I am even more certain now - Emma Lord is one of THE authors to watch out for in the YA contemporary space; if you see her name on a cover you simply know it's going to deliver.
I loved every aspect of this story - the tender and exciting journey of a found family coming together, the healing from childhood trauma and being able to grow into a more adjusted adult with those who've been at your side all along, the closure from chasing the traces left of a lost one, and the wholesome, heartwarming romance. Andie was the kind of character you just want to take to the side, tell to take a break, give a hug and a hot chocolate. She was such an endearing golden retriever over achiever people pleaser and I couldn't not root for her journey of learning her value and asking those around her to respect who she is and what she needs.
I am also one to enjoy a grumpy x sunshine romance, and there is something very comforting about a love interest pretending to be grumpier than he actually is and the way they balance out such a high energy pretty protagonist.
I LOVED this and can see myself recommending it often!

While I've enjoyed every Emma Lord book I've read, this was my second favorite after Tweet Cute. I just loved the small college vibe (side note, more books need to take place at college) with quirky college traditions and Andie's attempts to follow in her mom's legacy while carving out her own place at Blue Ridge.

This was so close to a perfectly done love triangle. Andie's complicated relationship with Conner felt realistic, especially since so many college students go through similar long distance struggles. What would have made it better is if one part of the love triangle could have been eliminated with just acknowledging that they didn't work together, rather than villainizing that character.

Overall, solid YA / NA contemporary. If you liked Emma Lord's other books, you'll definitely love this one!

First of all, I want to say thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Second of all, I wish I could read this book for the first time again. After reading and loving Emma Lord’s debut novel, Tweet Cute, I decided to request this book, and I’m so glad I did. Lord has a way of writing books that I want to go back to and reread.

The more I read on, the more attached I grew to this friend group that Andie was a part of, as well as seeing myself in parts of her. The book tackles the fear of failure stopping you from doing things, feeling the need to live up to a parent’s legacy, and struggling with the distance that your parent created. It all hit me so hard that I was hooked. The desire to create your own found family at college was something that was instantly relatable. She’s a transfer student, so her first semester there is the spring semester. Not being there when everyone else in her residence hall moved in doesn’t deter her from trying to bring everyone together and make friends. As a commuter student who started college during the pandemic and is more of a shy person, reading how Andie created this family of hers made up of her forever people was so sweet to see.

Reading this book was comforting in a way as we follow Andie on her journey of finding herself and recognizing what she wants and coming to a conclusion that so many of us struggle with: you are enough. The friendships she formed were wonderful, I love how each of the characters were given depth, and the open honesty they all had was refreshing. Were there misunderstandings at times? Yes, but it wasn’t overdone, it made sense, and it was not drawn out. The romances were sweet, and I can’t imagine any of the couples ever breaking up. Some readers might not love Andie’s way of swearing, which is replacing curse words with foods, but I don’t think it took away from the story. Ultimately, this feels like it could be a comfort show I could watch about Andie, Shay, Valeria, and Milo navigating college life.

The way that grief was tackled in the book is something that I have to note. Lord did an amazing job of describing how the loss of a loved one is hard enough, but then the way people behave around you afterwards changes. That change, while not with bad intention, worsens the pain. And with that grief comes the desire to keep certain things to yourself because they were only for you and the people who knew the person like you did. And this kind of loss could be what changes everything, from your confidence to the path you want to take in life. I think she did a great job at writing Andie’s complicated relationship with her father and how her mom’s legacy has affected her, as well as getting to the root of why she is the way she is. At times, it did feel like Andie came to these conclusions rather quickly, but I realize that it was more that deep down, a part of her was aware.

So, I'd recommend settling into a comfy chair with a warm blanket as you enter Blue Ridge State University with Andie Rose. Overall, I give it 5/5 stars!

Emma Lord had proven once again that she is a great writer. This book was great and made me realize that I need to pick up YA books more often because I always enjoy them!

It was about a college student named Andie who always had a plan for her life. But after transferring to a super competitive school and experiencing some relationship troubles in the process, her entire plan seemed to fall off the rails. What I loved was watching her grow throughout the story. It was genuine and she was really able to find herself.

The book had a really great cast of characters. The friends that Andie made at school were all unique and well thought out. They became her found family and I loved the way they all interacted.

And her new love interest Milo...what a sweetheart and actual nice guy! They were really great together and I loved the slow burn will they, won't they, just kiss already vibes! My only complaint is that I wanted more Milo and less of her ex boyfriend Conner who was a big jersey! We needed to get him out of the way alot sooner.

If you've enjoyed the author's other books or love a good YA romance, definitely pick this one up! Worth the read!

Thank you for the advanced review copy. I liked this except I really didn’t love the boyfriend aspect of it. If you’ve read this, you know what I mean. If not, there isn’t any actual on page cheating. But the romance plot felt a little icky even though the guy was a total jerk in the end.

3.25 stars

I came for the new college-life experience and stayed for the Bookstagram references. There were parts that were a bit over the top (like Andie choosing strange snack choices as swear words and a race to collect ribbons that I didn’t fully understand), but I enjoyed the character growth that Andie went through and watching her relationship with her dad as they worked through past hurts.

Read if you like:
Campus life
Coming of age stories
Flawed characters
Stories featuring Bookstagram
Female empowerment

Thank you Wednesday Books for a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Emma Lord does it again. I can always count on a quick enjoyable read when I pick up one of her books. Andie and Milo’s story was no different. Strong female friendships are also something I’ve come to expect with her books and this one did not disappoint.

DNF @15%
This book is just too ridiculous for me. I might have been able to get past the main character replacing cus words with food, but that on top of everything else was too much for me. This felt really childish for a book set in college.

Emma Lord’s books never seem to disappoint. The setting on a college campus, the characters who were each grappling with their own pasts and challenges pulled me in right away. Loved this gem and could see a sequel with these characters as a wonderful treat!

I stayed up way too late trying to finish this book because I fell in love with all of the characters. Emma Lord has a way of sucking you into the lives of her characters that is truly impressive. She created a world I wanted to be part of (sign me up for that school—I’m going back to university). Though there were some serious themes that were explored, they felt realistic. I’m going to go back and make sure I add the rest of Lord’s books to my TBR pile.

What didn’t work for me

The naivety of the MC: The only thing that bothered me about this story is that the main character, Andie, is a little more naive than she needs to be to move the plot along. She uses her favourite snacks instead of swearing, like “Oh, Froot Loops,” which is just too much when you’re in college. She also is a bit clueless about her relationships—and has really messed up priorities—and though she doesn’t officially cheat, she doesn’t not cheat, and I wouldn’t say I liked that.

The YA-ness of the ending: I phrased it this way because this isn’t really Lord’s fault, but I don’t love that we have this whole story, a slow burn, leading up to these characters getting together (I don’t think that’s a spoiler) and we don’t really see them together much. I wish we could have seen Andie and Milo together a little more.

What I liked

Everything else: I love everything else about this book—the secondary characters are so much fun, including Milo’s family, Andie’s grandmothers and basically everyone at the school. The plot moves at a nice place, and there was a twist that I didn’t see coming that I enjoyed because I wasn’t expecting it. I don’t want to enter spoiler territory, so I will keep it at that. But I wish Bagelopolis was a real place because I would go there every day. I love a funky bagel.

If you enjoy Emma Lord’s books or college-aged YA, this one won’t disappoint you. If you’re on the fence about whether you can read YA as an adult, I recommend trying Begin Again because the characters are a bit older than they are typically in the genre. If you love some hidden Taylor Swift references (beyond just the title), you’ll have fun trying to find them throughout the story.

4.5 STARS

was a bit disappointed by this one. I’m not sure if I had too high of expectations for it or if I just loved her previous books too much, but this fell flat for me. It just felt very juvenile for someone who was supposed to be in her first year of college. This felt like a freshmen in high school with her maturity. I really, really enjoyed the side characters though. Milo and Shay were the best parts for me. Andie was too naive and immature. She didn’t give great advice half the time, and her declaration of love ? I just don’t buy it .. 🙈 The overall story itself was much better written about 50% of the way through. I loved the concept of it, but some parts just really didn’t sit with me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5 stars rounded up to a 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eArc.

"Anything worth doing starts with a mess."

Emma Lord is pretty much becoming the queen of sweet YA/NA books. I first discovered her with Tweet Cute, which was lovely, and then last year's When You Get the Chance was an absolute delight (I still need to get You Have a Match off my bookshelf and read it).

Lord brings that charm again in the upcoming Begin Again, which follows Andie Rose as she navigates life at her dream college while also living with the shadow of her late mother, who was also an alum of Blue Ridge State. Andie has a boyfriend back home who, in a hilarious if not exactly believable opening plot twist, has transferred from Blue Ridge to the hometown community college where Andie had spent her first semester. Yes, the two switched schools and neither had any idea the other was planning it. So, not the best relationship from a communication standpoint.

Soon, Andie is struggling in classes because she is obsessed with a school tradition involving the collection of colored ribbons and secret societies. She also gets involved with the college's underground radio program with her roommate Shay and RA Milo. Shay is probably my favorite character and I demand that she have her own book. Milo is grumpy, deeply caffeinated, has the biggest heart. And he's way better for Andie than the deadbeat boyfriend back home. By the end, Andie has found a place where she belongs, and the epilogue is sweet and is the perfect ending to this feel-good story. I highly recommend this one to anyone who needs their spirits lifted by a heartfelt tale with adorable characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Get ready for campus-wide scavenger hunts, trivia nights, snowball fights, pirate radio stations, and dreamy bagel & cream cheese combos!

Full of reminders for enneagram 2s, and everyone else who struggles to prioritize their own needs before giving all of themselves to help others.

I loved seeing the way Andie and her friends open up and bond over their loss of loved ones, betrayal, and heartbreak. We also see great examples of familial relationships being repaired, slowly, but moving in a healing direction.

Also—Andie’s roommate Shay is a bookstagramer. I mean, how amazing is that?!

Recommend if you enjoy YA coming of age stories, found families stories, and frequent mentions of bagels, sugary treats, and caffeinated beverages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC.

Rating: 4/5
Release Date: Jan 23rd, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Synopsis: Begin Again follows the story of Andie Rose as she begins college at Blue Ridge State where she’s studying psychology in a competitive program/school. Andie is a planner but when her boyfriend who had gone to Blue Ridge State transfers back to her old school to surprise her, life gets messy. A ribbon hunt along with new friends and complicated challenges will make Andie question how much of life can really be planned.

*Review to be posted on Instagram sometime in the next couple days*

Pros:
-I really liked the main character Andie, she had such a wonderful personality and I was rooting for her the entire time
-the romance was so cute, true to Emma Lord fashion and did not disappoint, it was a very very slow burn romance and I just wanted the characters to get together from the very start
-the whole ribbon hunt plot was really fun and creative along with the radio show which in many ways helped to advance the plot
Cons:
-none!

Begin Again is a YA college romance staring Andie. She gets into her parents college in January and spends her time trying to qualify for a secret society and working for an underground radio show/podcast to live up to her mother's legacy.
I really liked the side characters in the story. I thought they were interesting and added to the story. I did not like the concept of the secret societies (especially after the reveal of what they actually were). I did not like that the characters felt immature at times (and not just freshmen in college immature). Why was Andie still writing a column for her high school newspaper? That's weird. Why did the college professor take away one of her belongings because she was late to class (also a professor probably couldn't lock the door to their lecture hall). Andie's substitute cursing as food was annoying and not cute. You could probably get away with that if she was 12.
It was a fairly quick read, although I think it did drag in the middle, but ultimately not a win for me.

DNF at 17%. Andie is a likable character on the cusp of a big chapter in her life- starting school at a major college. She seems smart and driven but she's super into these ribbons having to do with secret society's on campus and I just can't get into it. She has issues in her own life but instead of actually communicating with her so-called boyfriend she starts a quest to help her roommate find a major. I love the family support Andie has in her two grandmas, I love that she is striking out on her own, and I love that she is putting so much into building new friendships. I just don't have the desire to read anymore to find out how Andie's story unfolds.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. Emma Lord always does a great job with YA romance. I love her balance of coming of age and romance. Starting college is never easy and I enjoyed how Andie found her tribe at the same time herself. Her friendships with the characters added depth to the story. Andie was a bit goody for me and I enjoyed seeing her growth.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. This was a sweet little book about college, the ideas you go in with, and being open to new ideas and experiences. I thought this was well written and I really enjoyed it.

Begin Again by Emma Lord is the story of Andie who begins college at Blue Ridge State mid year. Her mom who passed when Andie was eleven attended and was very involved on campus. Emma is trying to figure out her future as she looks at her mom’s past. She has a boyfriend from high school and is becoming friends with her RA, Milo.

This is a very thoughtful story that handles grief in a beautiful way. I appreciated that the story did not gloss over the hurt someone feels when someone they love dies. The author walked each character through their grief and we were privileged to see them change. I loved seeing Andie be honest with herself, reach out to make new friends, and come to terms with who she was. Beautifully written. I enjoyed the humor woven through the story and it was fun to be in college once more. . I recommend the story.


Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the story. All thoughts are my own.