It’s not uncommon for me to read one book and listen to a different audiobook. What isn’t normal for me is for a book to grab hold like ‘Begin Again’ did.

I wanted no other story but that of Andi (New Girl), Connor, Shay, and Milo.

The beginning was slow for me, but by the fourth chapter I was hooked. (Waiting for my next sip of Eternal Darkness maybe?)

This is not my first Emma Lord story, and it won’t be my last. I enjoyed the wit of the characters, the raw depth of storyline.

It was an adventure full of ribbons and snow storms that for me caused quite a flurry.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC, I look forward to pub day so you all can tell me what you think!

Very cute book with enjoyable characters! I loved this cute relationship and can't wait to read more of Emma Lord's books! The writing was well done and I'm so glad I got to read this.

Thank you NetGalley and Emma Lord!

Stayed up WAY too late to finish this wonderful read! And, man oh man, did I cry??? Like, a real lot!!! It was just so perfectly, heart-wrenchingly sweet and sad and lovely. I'm a BIG fan of Milo, of course, but also the rest of his family. I also really dig the Grandmothers...Maeve and Nell are just such well-drawn characters and I wish I knew them. I also deeply appreciate the development of the secondary and even tertiary characters and the fact that the setting plays such a pivotal role in the story. Finally, I appreciate that Andie is so real...so almost unlikeable at times with her nosiness and buttinsky tendencies. This is a great book! I loved it! ♥♥♥

I really love Emma's book "Tweet Cute" and was hoping this would be similar in the way it made me feel. It was there for the first 45% of the book but I became quickly uninterested after that. It almost felt as though the storyline/romance arc lost it's spark. I think that maybe if I were closer in age to the target demographic for this book I would have liked it more.

I was really looking forward to this book since I enjoyed Tweet Cute; however, this book just did not hit for me.

I found the overall premise to be interesting and relatable.
But about halfway through, I had lost almost all of my interest in the characters and what happened to them.

Overall I enjoyed Andie and Milo’s characters and the progression of their relationship, but I didn’t care about anyone else (except the grandmas 🤣).

One thing I think Emma nailed was capturing what it feels like to be a freshman in college and be at a new school. I found this part of the story to be very relatable.

Additionally, there were several instances where this book had me laughing out loud; yet, those few moments were not enough to hold my interest for the majority of the story.

I think the writing was good, but the pacing was a little to slow for me. Additionally there was more language than I like to see in YA novels.

However, I do want to try some more of Emma Lord’s books in the future! Ultimately, compared to other YA novels I have enjoyed in the past, this one just doesn’t compare.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy to review.
It took me 6 weeks to get through this and it is completely work’s fault not the book. This might be my favorite Emma Lord yet, though Tweet Cute might be overdue for a reread. I absolutely loved how the romance was there but not central to the story. What a great build of friendship and family growth. There was a slight twist I didn’t expect and I absolutely loved that it threw me for a loop. My only wish is the book mentions caramel stuffed peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and it didn’t have a recipe so now I have to go look for one. Emma is a favorite Instagram follow and I felt so much of her throughout this book: between baked goods, the mention of Taylor Swift, and other things. I truly loved this book and I hope it gets recognized when it’s published. ❤️

Oh, this book was fantastic. Andie lost her mom as a child and is doing her best to follow in her footsteps at her alma mater. She has also laid out a plan for her future that she is intent on achieving. This book follows Andie during her first semester of college, as she finds her people, learns more about her mom, and discovers even more about herself. Another wonderful read from Emma Lord!

This is the fourth ARC that I've read by EL and I always enjoy her writing. I felt that while this was a funny page turner with relatable characters, there were some aspects that kept this from being a five star read.

Reading Emma's books is like watching her grow up through her characters. The age of the MCs gets older each time and they are at different points in their lives. What I have noticed however is the voices are all extremely similar and I'm struggling to separate them. While still unique, Emma's voice carries through strongly in all of them. As a reader of her buzzfeed articles (which makes me biased I know lol) I find myself wanting for some diversity in her writing of her books, maybe even switching from first to third person. Because Emma is so funny and I love her quirky characters, I dont want to necessarily 'lose' her voice in her books, just establish her MCs as separate individuals.

I liked the flow of this book a lot. I enjoy fast paced reads and this nailed it. The plot twist in Begin Again had me gasping out loud (at a bar because I was reading during the world series) and I liked how it ended. All in all, this was a solid read I'll easily recommend along with her other books.

A big thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for sending me an e-ARC of Emma Lord's "Begin Again". All opinions are my own and uninfluenced.

Imma be real - Emma Lord has my heart and soul entirely. I have been a fan of her titles since "Tweet Cute" and each book since has only solidified that. However, there is always that teeny tiny bit of terror that her newest title would be a flop and affect how I see her. Thank god, "Begin Again" is not that title. This adorable coming of age story remixes Jane Austen's "Emma" into a modern day story of growing into your own and learning to do things for yourself. This story hit me in the guts over and over again, and I cannot wait to hold a physical copy of "Begin Again" in my hands. 5/5 stars.

Emma Lord does it again. Begin Again was a sweet, fun coming-of-age story about learning to put yourself first. Andie was an endearing character, and I devoured her story of grief, trauma, and about overcoming her reliance on her boyfriend as a result of those things. Following along as she began building her own legacy and bonded with her dad was the perfect read. Milo, Valeria and Shay were perfect supporting characters (and of course, I loved the Bookstagram reference).

Highly recommend this to any YA fan.



Thank you to Emma Lord and Wednesday Books for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

emma lord has written yet another feel-good YA romance AND I LOVE IT.
andie is such a lovely main character and you simply can’t help but root for her and want her to succeed in everything. her love interest milo is equally as wonderful, and the romance and dynamic between the two is slow-building yet so sweet and pure. begin again also has the incredible found family element that emma lord is a master at writing and incorporating in her books.

overall, this was an extremely enjoyable read (and all the taylor swift references were simply just a huge bonus.)

the publisher kindly provided this arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My first EMMA LORD book and It’s absolutely worth it. Will be reading more of her works in future.

This one was wonderful❤️

this book was such a wonderful read!!!! it had me giggling and kicking my legs, which is the thing i always desire most in books!!! i absolutely loved it and i can’t wait to force all my friends to read it

Once in a while I like a good fluffy romance and this was definitely one of those. Emma Lords books are always an immediate buy for me because I do enjoy her writing a lot. Other than the use of 'cute' words as a substitute for swearing I did not have much of a problem with this book. I think if its a college story there is no need to play that safe. But to each their own I guess.

Whenever I think Emma Lord’s books can’t get better, she writes a new one that takes the #1 spot. Begin Again is packed with characters you can’t help but root for, a heartfelt story that was more than a little relatable and the humor we’ve all come to expect from Emma Lord books.

From Andie struggling to make uni feel like home and achieving all of her goals to other characters figuring out their major or how to juggle work and assignments - the highlights and (many) struggles of studying at university are not only very relatable but also seamlessly interwoven with themes such as friendship, love, family and grief. Begin Again is written with so much heart and humor that I found myself both crying and laughing at many of the wonderful scenes. Seeing platonic and familial relationships get as much page time as romantic ones always makes me so happy. I truly loved all of the characters and the way they were developed. Begin Again has so many elements I love in coming-of-age novels but also manages to be very original and a book I won’t easily forget. It’s a book that feels like a warm hug and I highly recommend checking it out!

I've read two of Emma Lord's books, each one different from the other. Begin Again is a sweet college romance, with current themes and a nod to the past.

It's perfect for a rainy day, because you can burn through it very quickly. It's almost too cute at times, and although the ribbon scavenger hunt forms a central tenet of the book, I'm not sure that it really 'works'. However, adding in pieces of Andie's mom, and her life at the school, neatly pulls it all together.

An enjoyable read, and one that I will recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this ARC with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Loved this Emma Lord book! Life isn't always what you plan. When life doesn't go as planned, you must sometimes, "Begin Again."

Emma Lord never disappoints. I really enjoyed this story and fell in love with the characters within the first few chapters. The themes of loss, belonging and found family were perfect for the setting of a young person's journey leaving home for University. I would put this up there as one of my favorites by Lord!

Great feel-good romance. Andie and her boyfriend Connor have a misunderstanding which puts them at separate colleges. With the help of her roommate Shay and her RA Milo, Andie finds herself at the pirate radio station founded by her now-deceased mother who Andie idolized and discovers who and what truly make her happy. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Family legacies, forever friends, making light when things go wrong. This book had everything from college vibes - including secret societies, scary professors, and making new friends - first loves, and family betrayals. Everything screamed growing up and letting go of childhood ideals, done in a way that feels like an adventure of bagels and coffee, ribbons galore, and an epic dance party in the quad.

I wish I would've read this when I was first starting college. Andie is the perfect role model of the kind of attitude you should have when starting at a new school, meeting new people, and fulfilling your dreams while also helping others make theirs come true too. With Andie's positive and peppy personality, her lifelong goal of following in her mother's footsteps comes with a lot of well-thought-out plans that go completely wrong. It's a tale of figuring your way through paths unseen, and with the right people and honest conversations, you could find yourself somewhere much better than you ever expected.

There's so much to love in this college rom-com. The relationships, both platonic and romantic, display true loyalty and authentic affection. Familial relationships are also difficult and full of grief but with room for healing. The aspect of a secret podcast host pushing activism for a community where the institution is failing them is grounding and inspiring. The journey that Andie and her friends go on is funny, hopeful, and refreshing. Spewing individualism, living up to your own expectations, and starting over even when it's hard, this book will resonate with everyone who has been to college or has felt daunted by big life changes.