This book was good, but nothing spectacular. I was excited that it was a YA featuring a college-aged MC, hoping it would make it more relatable. Instead the MC curses by saying her favourite foods? It was highly predictable, but an easy read.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press & MacMillan Audio for advance copies in exchange for an honest review.

After a few sub par suspense reads, this was the perfect light, sweet palette cleanser.

I really enjoyed the academic setting, the character development, and the less cliche story than most romantic plot lines I’ve read. Perfect read for the holidays, I could totally picture this as a Netflix movie!

Emma Lord has this unique way of bringing a theme into a YA romance that binds the story and the characters together. From grilled cheese to broadway, she creates this cohesive current in her books that keep me coming back for more. This story of Andie and her personal expectations for herself and others is sweet and honest and endearing. She transfers colleges mid freshman year to be with her boyfriend and to connect closer to her mom's past. But when she get there, nothing is as she expected. This story of found family and friendship and changing as life does and regrouping when you least expect or want to is so true but fun that it kept me reading and chattering with a friend throughout the book. I can't wait to pass this one on to my own teen readers.

An enormous thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and of course, Emma Lord for providing me with an eARC of this novel. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

This was such a cute book, but boy did it make me emotional. May or may not have cried a few times. I really liked Andie and her growth throughout the book. Her obstacles felt realistic and every hurdle just led her closer to truly coming into her own.

Anyone who’s experienced grief can relate to this one, the different ways people cope with them and learning through baby steps how to get out of that hole.

I’ve loved the Emma Lord books I’ve read so far, and this was no exception. I loved all the characters- Andie, Shay, Milo and Val especially. Though I really loved Milo’s big family and their dynamics.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Begin Again is quaint and cute. A little too cutesy wootsy for my liking, personally. I feel like that is just Lord’s style though (read: cheesy). I must say: I like some good, ol’ cussin’. So, the fact the protagonist says things like “Oh! snickerdoodle cookies!!” irked me! Not really relatable to any college student I ever met, but whateva. If you are looking for a simple read, this is it. What I enjoyed the most were the cast of characters. The grandmothers are hilarious and sweet! Shay is funky and funny! Milo is snarky, yet kind. Lord’s little turn of phrases and sarcastic style of prose is appreciated. I smirked (internally) every once in a while. This novel, however, is too on the nose. So much so that I literally guessed every part of this book from the beginning. And I’m, like, the laziest reader ever. That in it of itself takes away a star for me (rounding down to 2 stars). Alas…I think most PG-rated, younger folks will enjoy this.

This was a very cute YA romance. Andie transfers to Blue Ridge State to be with her boyfriend Connor (as a surprise) and also because her mother went there. This is her first semester living independently and taking on new adventures. As she meets new friends, she quickly starts to realize all that she was missing in her little world and finds a way to Begin Again.

My one big dislike was the main character Andie using silly language when "swearing". It was really annoying, although her romantic interest finds it cute. A minor thing that distracted me from the story at times.

Overall, a good story with some great characters.

The first Emma Lord book I read was Tweet Cute, and I loved it. I was hesitant going into Begin Again - would I love the story and the craft of Lord’s writing the same? Spoiler alert: I love it even more. This book is relatable, covering real topics and invoking real feelings of the college years. I loved it and would read it again right now.

Navigating college life as a transfer student, maintaining good grades, and attempting to keep up with her long distance relationship, needless to say Andie has a lot on her plate.

Begin Again is definitely more of a coming of age type book, when I expected some more romance, but see Andie really come into herself and having her recognize that she didn’t always need to the ‘fixer’ and that it was ok to put herself and goals first sometimes was great.

What an absolutely adorable and uplifting story. This is my second read from Emma Lord and the writing is just so fun.

What I thought was going to be a story about a type a girl switching colleges to be with her boyfriend only to find out he switched school to attend hers, turned out to be so much more. I was expecting this to be more about the protagonist simply living for her boyfriend; his approval, helping him, getting them both back to a place where they are at the same school, but what I got was Andie living for herself, making friends, having experiences in a school where her parents attended.

Andie’s friend group is the best! She becomes besties with her roommate, Shay and catches the eye of Milo, the grumpy RA on her floor. And during the time we follow her, she grows so much. She learns what SHE wants, what makes her happy… WHO makes her happy.

This was a really uplifting, wholesome ya read that I loved so much.

Emma Lord is the queen of young adult books and I loved this one! Andie is navigating college as a transfer student, juggling grades, a long distance relationship, and finding bits of her parents' past all around campus.

There is so much to love in this one as we see Andie grow, finding her way and recognizing she doesn't need to fix everyone else's problems and instead can focus on herself and her own goals. I loved the college campus setting and the friends she made, including her bookstagrammer roomie and sarcastic but sweet RA.

There are lots of moments of self-discovery, creating a found family, and making peace with the past that make this a perfect coming-of-age story (with a dash of charming romance). Highly recommend if you need a heartwarming read that will have you reminiscing on your own college days (if you're a bit older than the target demographic ;) ).

Thank you Wednesday Books for my advance copy in exchange for a review.

Overall I gave 4 stars...this was super cute and enjoyable, however I am absolutely not the right age range for this one! Sometimes YA works this mid-thirtys gal and sometimes it feels too young. Too young isn't bad as I am obviously not the YA target demographic, but this one definitely felt too young for me.

However, if you are thinking of getting this for a YA reader in your life: pick this one up!! It was delightful, cute, charming, and felt very relevant for 2022.

A charming read! The main character is quite likable and her supporting cast is vibrant and fleshed out. There were a bit too many plot points that weren't fully fleshed out to give it higher than a three, but enjoyable nonetheless.

This is exactly what I love about YA romance. Andie and Milo learned so much about themselves and grew so much just by being friends. Andie transfers to Blue Ridge mid semester to be at the college that her parents met at years ago. She has a legacy there and can't wait to experience it all. Her boyfriend was supposed to be there as well, but he transferred back to community college just as Andie leaves.
To be honest, I am glad that he boyfriend, Connor, didn't make it there. She was able to open up and meet so many new people without him. They were together for what seemed like forever and she needed to find out who she was, without being under his wing.
Milo was the token grumpy boy that lit up when Andie came into view. She pulled him out of his misery so he didn't drown there. They both had a lot of baggage to work through, but the group of friends they had on their side was so much fun and so supportive. It made me nostalgic for my time at college and I feel like I experienced everything they were going through on some level and it was amazing how the book transported me back.
Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's and Emma Lord for an early copy!

Oh, I adored this. Emma Lord is really cementing herself as one of my favorite YA authors today. This was adorable, funny, and very heartfelt — I think her most deeply felt novel so far, more than the comedy and antics of her previous ones — and left me smiling and just a bit teary. Lord continues to be excellent at writing friends and family, from a wonderful roommate Shay to the little found family to Andie’s quirky grandmas. I loved Milo, particularly as more was revealed of him. It also fulfills my desire for more YA books about college, as it’s always surprised me there aren’t more about college years in this genre/tone. Lord did a great job of capturing what it’s like to start college and look for your place and your people, especially when it doesn’t come easily (and her setting in the Blue Ridge Mountains was a perfect touch for me, someone from the region just like Lord is). It tips into more silliness with the premise (which I did adore) and all the competition, but was balanced out by so much about finding your footing and working through relationships and loss. So lovely, and a book I would have loved even more at 18, away from the mountains but a bit lost in college too despite being where I knew I wanted to be.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to get a galley!

Emma Lord has been one of my must read authors since Tweet Cute, and with every subsequent book I’ve enjoyed watching new characters grapple with complex family dynamics and the double edged sword of secrets.

Secrets are everywhere in Begin Again — Milo is keeping one from most of the school, Andie is keeping one from most of her friends and Connor is keeping a few big ones from the people he claims to love.

As a notorious consumer of romance novels, the likely HEA here was clear from the synopsis (even more after a few chapters in if you’re familiar with the Taylor Swift song cited in the book’s titled). But rather than the plot, it’s Lord’s characters that catapulted Begin Again to be my second favorite of her books.

Andie is anxious and overcompensating and uses her desire to help her friends as a thinly disguised coping mechanism for her mother’s death. But in the grumpy/sunshine dichotomy, Andie becomes the clear sunshine, mostly in comparison with Milo, a caffeine-addicted RA who loves his quiet hours. But unlike most of his romance novel counterparts, the rationale for his "love is a scam" stance holds some water, though his grudge holding doubles as a conflict avoider’s dream coping mechanism.

Aside from the romantic leads, several supporting characters are given their own arcs, most notably Val and Shay, aka the rest of the All Knighters friend group who made me want to text in all my college group chats. I’m not usually nostalgic for those days but the bits Lord captures (trivia nights, trauma bonding over tough classes, making friends through work study, the tight knit community of both dormmates and extracurricular activities) truly took me back.

Come for TSwift's Begin Again interpreted through the lens of the grumpy/sunshine trope, stay for the collegiate hyjinks and some heartwarming familial reconciliations.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the copy of this ARC. Unfortunately, this book was just a little too YA for me. I’ve loved the author’s past books (especially When You Get The Chance), but the all-knowing teenager and swearing with favorite foods are just things that don’t work well for me at this point in my life. Definitely great for an actual teenage audience, though!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced preview. I always enjoy reading anything Emma Lord writes and this book was no exception. It made for the perfect cozy, winter weather read. The characters were fun, likeable, and well written. The story made me experience many emotions. All in all, it was a fun read.

I'm just gonna say it: Emma Lord can do almost no wrong in my opinion.

The friendships? Top notch.
The nostalgia for college: Top notch.
The angst? Top notch.
The banter? Top notch.
The constant referrals to pop culture I love? Top notch.

This book made me crave my days back in college - the friendships you make, the studying you do, the crazy amount of coffee and caffeine you inject into yourself to make it through the day.

I loved the shoutout to bookstagrammers through Andie's roommate (and honestly, kind of loved Shay's whole personality), I loved Andie's subtle plan to fix Milo, and Milo...damn, if I didn't fall in love with him within the first few pages. PLUS - I did not see the "twist" coming and I freaking loved it. Like LOVED.

Honestly, just, do yourself a favorite and read this book. You won't regret it.

I’m speechless.

It was an absolute honour to get the chance to read this absolutely sweet novel by Emma Lord. I adored Tweet Cute the first time I read it, and Begin Again brought me all the feels just the same.

Begin Again navigates us through friendships, love, heartbreak, grief, and how difficult post secondary education and finding yourself can be.

This friends-to-lovers masterpiece checked all the boxes for me. I can’t wait for everyone else to read and appreciates Andie’s story of finding herself, repairing family relationships, building friendships and finding love.

A big thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars from me, Bookish Bree

Check this one out on Jan 24th, 2023

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the gift book!

Emma Lord is such a great YA author - I loved her other book, Tweet Cute, so when I saw this one was coming out, I knew I needed to read it.

I felt like I was transported back to my college days as I was reading this. I loved all the nostalgia is gave me! Dorm living, found family, finding new hobbies, finding yourself - all wrapped up into a super cute book!

I thought the perspective of being on an anonymous radio show host in college was so fun. I thought the storyline unfolded really nicely and felt really well rounded. A light hearted, Disney channel kind of book .

I'd recommend this one to anyone looking for a cute YA book about family, self growth, and some charm.