Begin Again by Emma Lord is another amazing YA romance from one of my favorite authors. Andie Rose transfers to Blue Ridge State mid year to be with her longtime boyfriend Connor. Too bad he’s transferred back home to the local community college to be with her. So, on her own for the first time, Andie has to find her footing in a new place, surrounded by strangers, while still attempting to save an already strained long distance relationship.

I loved this story. It made me remember my first year at college, figuring out who I wanted to be, finding new friends that are still closer than family, wondering if I was going to be good enough. Lord does a great job of capturing those emotions and putting it all on the page. Andie and Milo are pure joy together, even though they’re both weighed down by grief and the heaviness of loss. She’s sunshine. He’s an over-caffeinated grump. Together, they’re perfect.

The publisher says ages 12-18 years, but I would put this one solidly on the older end of YA/the young end of NA. The main characters are 18-19 years old, and because of the subject matter and the language, I.certainly wouldn’t want my twelve year old reading it. (It’s crazy to think I have a twelve year old.)

Every time I think *this* is the book that will be my favourite of Emma Lord’s, she puts out a new one and it somehow turns out to be even better than her previous one. Seriously, I have no idea how she manages it.

There are certain things I’ve come to expect from her books, like very relatable set of characters, found family, more focus on familial relationships, lovable main characters, a unique story in a normal/ everyday setting and of course, lots of food references (enough to make you hungry throughout reading)

Begin Again delivers all of this and more. I will say this book is more serious than her previous ones as it deals with grief over losing a loved one but also because it involves lots of introspection and our main characters facing their fears and becoming better versions of themselves for achieving their dreams.
But it’s this distinctively Emma Lord way of managing both emotional and light hearted scenes that never made me feel overwhelmed.

I don’t want to talk a lot about the plot of the book because there were so many things that (pleasantly) surprised me and I’d love for everyone to keep reading and discover it all on their own too but there are so many things to look forward to in this book: Bookish trivia, Snow ball fights, multiple games of Werewolf, book clubs, kayaking, dance parties and many more fun things!!

Andie is such a fun protagonist, I instantly loved her! She’s a morning person, an over-achiever, gets involved in EVERYTHING, loves her friends to death and is just an overall such a sunshine person, you can’t help loving her.
Milo is a caffeine-addicted, total grump in her comparison, with wry humor and sarcastic quips always ready! They were so different from each other, this pairing couldn’t be more perfect!!
His ‘love is a scam’ dialogues always made me laugh so hard.

Friends to Lovers is one of my favourite tropes ever and there were so many *feelings* that I was squirming in my seat and just rooting for these two to GET TOGETHER ALREADY!! (And for Andie to leave that garbage of a human)

Also, ALSO, we can’t not talk about Shay and Valeria!! Shay is Andie (and Milo’s) best friend and I was so pleasantly surprised by this very cool thing she’s really passionate about (most of us will relate 👀) and it made my little bookish heart heart SO happy!!
I love Valeria and she also plays an important part in the last 1/3rd part of the story.

Their entire friend group was so cute and lovely!! Just thinking about these four makes me want to start another reread!!

What I’ve written so far is barely touching the surface of this amazing book but I don’t want to bore you all with my review, I’d rather you just go ahead and read this book and come back to fangirl with me because there’s no chance anyone sane can’t love this book!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press) for sending me an e-arc!

Short synopsis: Andi transfers to another college to go to school with her boyfriend of 3 years, only to find out he transferred to her previous school. When all her best laid land seem to go awry, Andi realizes sometimes life doesn’t go as planned.

My thoughts: This is a sweet story about a girl trying her best to get as close to her recently deceased mom as she can.

I loved that Shea was a Bookstagrammer, and that her side of the room is reminiscent of what my house looks like. An over abundance of books, which makes book lovers like me completely and utterly happy.

And I’d grandmas were the best! So witty and loving, went out of their way to be the mother figure andi no longer had in her life.

This had so much talk of bagels, and food in general, that I found myself craving a good bagel smeared in cream cheese! Overall I liked the coming of age Ya read, but hoped for a little more romance:

Read if you love:
- Diverse characters
- Food talk
- YA reads
- Coming of age stories
- Bookstagram

It's been a while since I read a college book, and this was the perfect accompaniment for watching S2 of SLOCG! I loved the characters in this book, as I always do in Emma Lord books. I especially loved our grumpy hero, Milo, and how he balanced out and understood our sunshiney MC. There were lots of fun, unexpected turns in this book, which I appreciated! And I absolutely loved the ending.

4.5 stars.
I fully did not expect to like this book that much, the description sounded good but maybe a little cliché. However,about 3 chapters in i was hooked and really started to like all of the characters… except for Connor.
I relate a lot to Andie in the way that i would love to be able to fix everyone else’s issues, but then i am terrible at taking care of myself in the same way.
This book ended up being very warm and comforting to read. It shows that not all things need to be fixed and sometimes its okay to just let loose and enjoy time with your friends and fully learn who you are instead of trying to be someone you’re not.

Emma Lord creates the best YA. Her books never disappoint and this one was not an exception. Would recommend for those who enjoy YA romance.

When you want a book with an authentic YA voice and a focus on family and friend groups, look to Emma Lord! I've read her hit books "Tweet Cute" and "When You Get the Chance", and if you enjoyed those, you'll like "Begin Again"! I loved the cast of characters: protagonist Andie, her book lover roommate Shay, her grumpy caffeine-addicted RA Milo, and her stats tutor Valeria, an aspiring fantasy novelist. There were several interesting plot lines that explored the struggles and uncertainties that Andie and her friends experience during the semester. Some plot lines I felt were a bit lackluster (like the ribbons), and moments were a bit cheesy, but I did overall enjoy how the story progressed.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me a digital review copy via NetGalley.

I love Emma lord books because they always pack so much emotion yet witty banter and fun characters who are all navigating tough backgrounds. Andie has transferred to blue ridge in the middle of the year, chasing a dream she’s always had. She wanted to be closer to her mom’s memories and this book takes you through all those waves of grief. Andie misses her mom and her dad isn’t around because it’s too hard for him. She navigates new friendships and tries to understand new ones as she also reaches for her mom’s memory through blue ridge’s ribbon games. There's typical college aged angst mixed in with a lot of soul searching

Emma Lord knows how to write heroines you want to root for, love interests you want to melt for, and plots that are somehow both fresh and nostalgic. Begin Again is her latest novel that does everything I said above and more. THIS BOOK IS SO FUN. And charming, and witty, and adorable! Anyone who misses college should read this. Anyone who’s excited about college should read this. And anyone who likes a good coming-of-age story full of wisecracks and found family and unique bagels should most definitely read this.

Short Synopsis: Begin Again is a coming-of-age YA college romance that follows Andie as she transfer from community college to the competitive Blue Ridge State. While she thinks she has it all planned out, her new experience offers many great surprises and unforgettable memories. With that, you see Andie grow as she finds true love, comes to terms with her past and figures out her purpose!

Thoughts: Emma Lord consistently writes great YA books. While this was not my favorite by her, there was a lot of fun to the story, which made it enjoyable and a quick listen. I enjoyed the full cast of characters, especially Andie’s bookish roommate Shay, the radio broadcasting pieces, the trivia nights and the budding romance with Andie’s RA Milo. However, I will say I was itching for more of the romance side-typical I know. I did a read/ audio combo and thought the audiobook was extremely well-done and engaging for a single POV story!

Read if you like:
-Coming of Age YA books
-College campus setting
-Booksatgrammers
-Bagel talk
-Radio broadcasting
-Great, supportive friends

Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and MacMillan Audio for providing me with an eARC and LRC in exchange for an honest review. This on is out 1/28!!

A sweet YA novel featuring a driven young woman, Andie, who has just transferred to her boyfriend's university to be with him and finds out that he has transferred to her community college to be with her. Andie is working through her grief over her mother's death, some uneasiness with her romantic relationship, and struggling with the academic expectations at her new school. She finds an awesome friend group, a new role as a radio announcer doling out advice (fitting her long-term career goal to become a self-help guru), and undergoes a lot of growth in all her relationships, familial, romantic, and most importantly, her relationship with her self. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for a digital review copy.

True to form, Emma Lord's latest novel is the perfect mix of witty and fun, sad and thoughtful, and perfectly coming-of-age. Begin Again is at its heart a story about crossroads. Do you take the safe path or the unknown one? When Andie transfers to her dream school to be with her boyfriend, follow her mother's legacy, and ace her psychology classes. When basically everything goes downhill on her first day-- she's faced with two diverging paths. Andie is given a fresh start, new, supportive friends, and a really caring RA who is addicted to coffee and cares deeply for her. This is a real rollercoaster of a book that I think teens and adults alike will enjoy! Emma Lord's books always bring a smile to my face and Begin Again is no exception. This hits stores on Feb 7th, 2023. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a cute book! I wish that there were more stories like this when I was in my late teens/early 20s! This is the perfect book for going away to college and all the feelings that happen with it. Andie is the perfect FMC and I really like her development through the book. The characters are perfectly aged and it hits that right balance of being 18 and being mature enough to be on your own, but also need the comfort of home. Milo... Lord, where was my Milo in college? Perfection. The friend group, also perfection. I recommend this for anyone around that college age, but also for anyone thinking back to that time wanting a cute read. 5 stars, 0 spice.

This was another cute story from Emma Lord!! She’s so good at creating vivid, yet comforting worlds, and I loved the characters in this one so much!

This one is great for fans of:
📖 YA stories
💕 Adorable slow burns
🏫 College campus settings
💛 Found-family friend groups

There were several little side plots in this one, and my attention drifted in certain chapters, but all the threads tied up nicely in the end. I found it to be a really sweet and touching story!

Andie Rose always needs a plan. And her current one seems flawless. Transfer from her community college to Blue Ridge State to be with her long-time boyfriend Connor, major in psychology, and get her life back on track. But as soon as she arrives at Blue Ridge, a major crack hits: Connor has transferred from Blue Ridge to be with her. Oops. Blue Ridge is tough academically. Andie needs a campus job. And her new roommate Shay needs a major, which Andie is struggling with, despite her reputation as someone who can fix anyone's problems... except maybe her own.

So this is cute and fun, for sure. Not my favorite Emma Lord (that is still TWEET CUTE) but a very good read nonetheless. I spent half the book trying to figure out if Blue Ridge was a stand-in for UVA, so I need some mental health help of my own. Andie certainly came with her own set of issues, but don't we all? Her mom passed away when she was young and then her dad basically bailed, leaving her in the care of two sweet, silly grandmas. Sure, they took care of her, but wouldn't that give you a bit of a complex, too? Blue Ridge is where Andie's parents met and fell in love, so she's dealing with that extra heaping of pressure.

The highlights in this book are the friend groups. I loved AGAIN's message about finding yourself and finding your friend family in college (or anywhere). Shay, Andie's roommate, is great, as is Valeria, another friend. And Andie's R.A., Milo, is wonderful--along with his extended family that seems to lurk at every place in Blue Ridge, including the local bagel shop. Andie and Milo's relationship is a slow burner, but it's a good one, and like a lot of Emma Lord relationships, it's really hard not to get behind it. They are just so darn... perfect. Milo has lost his dad; we know Andie has lost her mom, and the book does a strong job of exploring grief and how losing a parent affects your ability to trust. (We will just ignore the whole side plot with Connor, because frankly, he's not worth our time.)

This one felt a bit repetitive off and on--Andie is obsessed with earning these school ribbons, for example, because her parents did--that are tied to club events at the school and sometimes that all felt too much. For someone who loves to give advice, you wanted to shake her from time to time for her decision-making. There's a broadcasting/radio angle that seemed like it would be too much, but actually turned out to be perfect.

Overall, BEGIN AGAIN is chaotic and probably not one bit reflective of my college experience, but it's sweet and touching and full of charm and humor. There are representative characters and a couple you can root for--sometimes there's not much more you need, right?

Synopsis: Andie is a fixer and a planner. Upon transferring to her boyfriend’s college, Blue Ridge State, she has it all figured out. She’s going to major in psychology so that she can achieve her dream of becoming a famous self-help figure. Of course the best laid plans… Her relationship with Connor becomes more complicated when he shares that he, too, transferred colleges to her community college! Andie decides to make the most of her time at Blue Ridge State by helping her roommate, Shay, finally decide her major (easier said than done). There’s also Milo, her RA, who makes her question her ideas about love and relationships. Life as Andie knows it is quickly spiraling out of control. However, through her role as the anonymous Squire on the school’s pirate radio station, Andie finally begins to find her voice.

Thoughts: This was a cute new adult book that combines lightheartedness with the empowering journey of a young woman finding her way. There was a great and diverse cast of characters, and I enjoyed the variety of representation incorporated. One gripe I had was in Andie’s substitution of her favorite foods for swear words—it felt a bit juvenile for a college-aged student. I also had hope for a little more romance (and that’s saying a lot from me!). Still, this was a solid read!

Emma Lords YA books just hit a sweet spot for me every single time. She writes such funny and relatable young characters and takes them on fun journeys that help them let loose and grow so much. I’ve found that every one of her books so far has had a few elements that touched on something deeper than just a fluffy romance, and in this one I could so relate to Andy’s struggles with her mom having passed and trying to live up to a standard in her honor. This was adorable, fluffy, fun and so emotional at times !!

Obsessed with anything Emma Lord writes. I know once I start the book I won’t put it down until I’m done.

Begin again was no exception. Loved this story about starting over, second chances, heartbreak, loss and so much more.

Milo and Andie are the most charming and lovable characters and you can’t help but feel EVERY emotion they feel. From the losses they both have experienced to betrayals by friends/family to new friendships that become family you feel it all!

Heartwarming YA story that constantly made me want to drink all the tea and coffee.

A heartfelt coming of age YA college romance that sees Andie Rose transferring to the school where her dead mother went trying to forge a connection she's never had before. Along the way she finds a new friend group and struggles with a long distance romance.

This wasn't my favorite by Emma Lord but it was still enjoyable. I liked the underground radio broadcasting crew and the secret society vibes. Good on audio too narrated by Georgina Sadler. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital copies in exchange for my honest review!!

I haven't read this author before and after reading Begin Again, I can see why so many readers love her.

Rom-Coms are a favorite of mine when I need a pick-me-up type read. YA Rom-Coms are newer to me so I wasn't sure what to expect when I snagged this on NetGalley.

I was pleasantly surprised as this was a super easy read to fall in love with It's nerdy, funny, sweet, and of course has some life lessons and growth for our characters along the way.

Definitely recommend this one for any who love the Rom-Com genre, YA or otherwise. I sincerely appreciate Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.