(4.5 stars but man I loved this one)

I’ve followed Emma Lord’s career since Tweet Cute first came out and I’ve loved every minute of it, but I certainly didn’t expect Begin Again to land at the top of the list. In a way, I think this book is a departure from Emma Lord’s previous work. It felt less comedic (though still humorous) and more grounded in the emotions of familial relationships. I don’t know where to begin with everything I loved about this book.

To start, it takes place in college, a subgenre of YA I’ve been loving recently. The detailed build-up and exploration of the MC’s relationships with her friend group and with her family were well-earned and well-executed. Emma Lord’s prose has always been something special, but this book elevated her to another level.

It’s easy to call this book a grumpy x sunshine college meet cute, and as much as I love those, I think that title wouldn’t give this book nearly enough credit. This one is about our learned behaviors when it comes to loving others, how to care for ourselves while caring for others, and how to surround ourselves with the love we deserve. With a touch of workplace shenanigans and a secret radio show. If healthy communication and a foundation of friendship make you swoon the way they make me, you will love this book.

My only grievance is that I wish Andie’s relationship with Connor had been further developed, given how important he is to her.

I can already see myself rereading this book numerous times. Thank you so so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC! I’m in love.

**I was excited to receive a complimentary copy of Begin Again by Emma Lord from NetGalley. Opinions in this review are completely my own.**

I thought this book did a great job of capturing the confusion and growth that happens during the years between high school and university. I liked how Andie was searching not only for the connection to her mother, but also who she wants to be and how she will go about reaching her dreams. I enjoyed the characters, storyline, and mystery of the ribbons and what they represented.

I was able to relate to Andie's want to fix things for everyone else in an attempt to not focus on herself sometimes. I will definitely recommend this book to my students and buy it for my classroom.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to read an earc of this book. My opinions are all my own.

This is a delightful novel about the chance college provides to "begin again" even when you're healing from grief--it's a book about realizing there are all kinds of possibilities around you, even when, like roommate Shay's major, it takes to time to find the right one. At the same time, it's a book about realizing which parts of your past are worth keeping. The novel captures that tippy, dizzy spin of starting over perfectly.

Andie manages to transfer to highly competitive Blue Ridge State as a second-semester freshman; she plans to join her high school boyfriend and long time friend Connor there, but she's also planning quietly to reconnect to her family's legacy (her parents met at Blue Ridge State, and her mother set up a pirate radio program that's still a vital part of the school's traditions). What Andie doesn't expect is that Connor has just transferred to the local community college she's just left, and that's not the only part of her careful long term plan that no longer makes sense. I was pleased to discover that the book is not really about Connor at all (although he remains a subplot), but about Andie finding her own space at Blue Ridge.

The book features delightful characters (I am especially fond of Andie's two grandmothers), places, and college-traditions. It also doesn't brush aside Andie's grief for her mom or her RA and friend Milo's grief for his dad or the real challenges of figuring out how to live right now but with the past and future still present. Balancing (and sometimes losing your balance) are central to this book's story, and it captures the speed of college where so much can happen in a week, let alone a semester.

Even though it's set in college, it feels solidly YA to me. Some conflicts work out a little too easily, and Andie is very good at stumbling into the right place to advance the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Andie Rose knows exactly what her life is going to look like, this year and beyond. First, she's transferring from community college to the competitive Blue Ridge State, where her late mother once studied. She'll major in psych and become a self-help guru, all with her long-time boyfriend, Connor, by her side. But then things start falling apart. Without discussing it, Connor had transferred from Blue Ridge to the community college Andie has left. Classes are harder than she's prepared for, and she feels compelled to fix the lives of every new person she meets. Plus, her loveable, but gloomy RA, Milo, has her rethinking her stance on love.

I've read every one of Emma Lord's books and love her humor and writing style. Her personality comes through in her main character's, who are always outgoing, fun, and a little bit chaotic. She also writes really lovely male leads--I particularly loved Jack from Tweet Cute. While I really loved Milo, I thought the romance wasn't given enough time. Andie spent a long time with Connor in this book, so the actually romance with Milo was crammed in at the end. They had scenes together before this, of course, but nothing could happen between them because of her loyalty to Connor. I also thought Andie was a bit immature compared to some of Lord's other main characters, even though she's actually the oldest one we've seen. She did a lot of things that just seemed...silly? Overall, I'm really glad I got to read this one when I did because I've been looking forward to it since it was announced. I'm looking forward to seeing the adult romance that Lord is publishing, because I think it's going to have more of what I'm looking for from her.

"'Anything worth doing starts with a mess.'"

Begin Again by Emma Lord is a contemporary romance novel that is perfect for lovers of college traditions, found family, and tall boys with shaggy brown hair.

♡ Synopsis ♡
Andie Rose finally got into Blue Ridge State University, her dream school. It’s where her parents met and it’s where her long-term boyfriend, Connor, goes. When she shows up at his campus apartment to surprise him with the news, he’s not there. In fact, he’s not on campus at all. He’s back in their hometown of Little Fells where he’s enrolled in the local community college that Andie used to attend.

"'I’m outside your psych building.'
I stop at the door. I can feel Shay’s eyes on me. 'Like, the psych building at Blue Ridge State?'
'No, Andie, your psych building.'
The keys suddenly feel so heavy and bulky in my hand that I nearly drop them on the dorm’s linoleum floor. 'Why would you be…'
'I transferred to Little Fells Community College. To be with you.'"

Her mom passed away when she was young, and she has a distant relationship with her father, but Andie is hellbent on living up to her mother’s legacy. There’s an age-old tradition at Blue Ridge State involving secret societies, ribbons, and a witty radio personality that Andie has been obsessed with since she was a kid. She knows there’s a connection between the ribbons and her mother, but she doesn’t yet know how far deep it runs.

"She presses a stack of three ribbons in my hand, one red, one yellow, and one blue, all of them stamped with a faded version of the Blue Ridge State logo of a knight. She waits to give me the fourth ribbon last—a white one with my mom’s signature 'A' in permanent ink."

Milo Flynn is Andie’s new sleepy, caffeine-addicted RA. He has 6 older siblings that work on or near the campus, so he helps Andie find a work-study position at a local bagel store, Bagelopolis. There, Andie grows closer to both Milo and her roommate Shay, a popular bookstagrammer.

"For so long, the word family has loomed over me like a threat, like something I stood to lose."

Follow Andie as she navigates her way through campus, friendships, family, and love, in this beautiful, impactful novel.

♡ My Thoughts ♡
This is my first Emma Lord book, but I can assure you it will not be my last. There’s something about the way that she writes that just scratches an itch inside my brain. Begin Again has every element that I love about books like Emily Henry’s and Mhairi McFarlane’s.

Lord so perfectly encapsulates how it feels to fear that you won’t live up to your potential. That you’ve already failed by being scared to try. That failing on purpose by refusing to try is easier than trying and failing on your own merit. College is a terrifying place, and I feel like Lord translated the realness of what lies behind the façade of parties, friendships, and freedom.

This is so much more than a romance novel. It’s a story about really figuring yourself out. About forgiving yourself for your shortcomings. About finding your passions and what to do with them once you have. It’s about learning to give yourself room to grow and the patience to nurture that progress. About being there for your friends in the way they need you and allowing them to do the same for you. But mostly, it’s about learning that it’s never too late to begin again. Plus, there’s an adorable love interest that is just to die for!

Representation: black sapphic side character, queer side character

♡ Playlist ♡
♪ Andromeda - Weyes Blood
♪ Fix You - Kacey Musgraves
♪ Vienna - Billy Joel
♪ Last Hope - Paramore
♪ $TING - The Neighbourhood
♪ Begin Again (Taylor’s Version) - Taylor Swift
♪ Happier Than Ever - Billie Eilish
♪ august - Taylor Swift
♪ A letter to my younger self - Amber Lucid
♪ Deep End - Holly Humberstone
♪ Always Forever - Cults

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for the ARC!!

This YA romance has everything I love in a cozy read and left me reminiscing on my own college experience. While this is a story about relationships and found family at its heart, the characters struggle with loss, family rifts, and uncertainty about the future. These heavier topics are so lovingly woven into the story and give more depth to the characters than I expected. Like many YA romances, this one is a slow burn but cleverly avoids going too deep into the usual tropes. If you are looking for something to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, this is the perfect read for you!

Andie Rose has done the impossible: transferring from a community college in her small hometown to the prestigious Blue Ridge State mid-semester. She knows it will be a tough adjustment, but Andie’s boyfriend Connor will be there to help. That is, until she discovers that Connor transferred to her old school to be with her! But Connor isn’t the only thing bringing Andie to Blue Ridge State. Andie has dreamed of attending Blue Ridge State and following in her mother’s footsteps since she was very little. Together with her bookish roommate Shay and grumpy RA Milo, Andie sets off to collect enough ribbons for both Connor and herself to earn her a spot in one of the school’s secret societies. She hopes the journey will bring her closer to the mother she lost, but she might find much more along the way.

From Andie’s book obsessed roommate to the pirate radio station Andie becomes part of, there is plenty to make you want to step into this reality. Oh! Did I mention there are bagels? Andie’s experiences in the college dorm and ribbon hunting brought back so many wonderful college memories for me and made it all the more enjoyable. The coziness might just touch the edge of pandering, but I honestly didn’t mind. I was waiting for something to make me smile and this book definitely delivered.

Despite all the warm vibes, it’s the characters that really make this book stand out for me. In addition to their quirky personalities, each character is also struggling with difficult personal issues that affect them in very real ways. I found myself just as invested in each character finding their way as I was in the actual romance. The chemistry between all of the characters (romantic and not) was so on point and made it possible for things to develop in ways I didn’t expect they would.

Emma Lord is back with another YA book chock full of friendships, food, and love. However, this one missed the mark for me. I liked Andie and loved Milo, but I would much rather have read a story about Shay and Val.

I didn't feel much of a connection between Andie and Milo, and don't even get me started on Connor. Lord kept talking about their connection from high school to college, but I never felt it either.

Overall, I think this book was well written, but I think I have reached the point where I can't connect with YA at all. I felt some pangs while reading this, but I felt a lot of frustration as well. Decisions that would have made a lot of sense to me in college or high school now seem trivial and I was frustrated when Andie was even considering some of them. Oh well, just a different perspective now that I'm old.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

Thanks, NetGalley! Begin Again had cute, quirky moments and some twists. The ending things tied together nicely, but at times it felt like there was unnecessary detail and fluff. Also, Andie’s version of curse words (her favorite foods) was overused and slightly annoying at times.

***I received an arc in exchange for an honest review
This book was just so feel good. The story was really cute and typical but some times that's just what you need to be happy and comfortable

I will forever read anything and everything from Emma Lord. She just gets it and I love delving into every one of her stories. They are all so unique but all have the ability to hit me right in the feels.

Can't wait to put this one on my bookshelf!

Thank you for the early copy!

Begin Again by Emma Lord is the story of Andie Rose, who has everything figured out. She will transfer to the college that her boyfriend goes to after the first semester, they'll finish college together, get married and life will be perfect. But her plans are shattered once she arrives at school and finds out that there are complications with her plans. As the "fixer" among her friends, suddenly Andie is in need of some fixing of her own.

A delightful novel about coming of age, first loves, personal growth and fantasy vs. reality, Begin Again will not let even the most jaded of readers down. Thank you to the author,St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I would love to interview Emma on my podcast Raise Your Words.I had so much fun reading this book. In previous episodes I’ve interviewed authors Dr.Ausma Zehanat Khan, Intisar Khanani (HarperTeen), Annika Sharma, and Priyanka Taslim!

Begin Again starts with the cute and bubbly charm that I've come to expect from Emma Lord, but really levels up in heart and character development as the book goes on. About half way through, I sat down to read a chapter before bed and stayed there until I finished the book. Relatable themes of belonging, grief, and identity had me laughing, crying, and squealing with glee. This is exactly the warm-hearted book I was in the mood for, and I didn't even know it.

This takes place in college but felt a bit more like high school. Not everyone needs to party but it was very wholesome, not even staying up late. The MC swears using foods inside of swear words and turns out that is a pet peeve of mine.

That being said, the main character is relatable and funny. I enjoy books that focus on found family. Its refreshing to see characters bond and choose to support one another. The events here are predictable but in a comforting way that keeps you reading. Sure, you know things are going to work out and Andie and Milo will end up kissing, but that’s part of the appeal. The main part of the book isn’t romance, but rather Andie’s growth and healing from her mom’s passing.

Things went a little too smoothly but it’s fiction and escapism so I can’t be too bothered.

This was a rare gem…a bit predictable, but so adorable I had to read it in one day. The characters were relatable and lovable, the storyline was the right mix of heavy and light, and has you rooting for everyone. Will definitely be checking out more from this author.

Emma Lord is quickly becoming an instant-buy author. Her writing is a breath of fresh air: sweet and comforting. In Begin Again, Emma Lord so wonderfully captures the magic of going to college: the desire to fit in, the struggle of juggling a social life with studying, the first time away from home, all wrapped up in a pink, millennial bow.

Lord has a way of creating fantastically flawed characters that are so relatable you instantly feel as though they are your best friends. The main character, Andie, comes to school in an attempt to recreate the life her mother once had, but while doing so finds her own path…and a love interest. Andie and Milo’s relationship is a slow burn, “why don’t they already?!”, kind of love. This book was one of Lord’s better stories - more of a Tweet Cute vibe. It’s a must read if you love magically curated desserts and Taylor Swift references.

I haven't yet met an Emma Lord I didn't adore. Begin Again is a slow-burn romance that builds on friendship while Andie finds herself--and a family--as she navigates tough relationships and college life. Super cute and easy read.

I don't know how Emma does it. I loved Begin Again SO MUCH.

Andie Rose is a planner and a fixer. She transfers to her dream school.- Blue Ridge State - to major in psychology, surprise her boyfriend by joining him on campus, and follow in her mother's footsteps by joining one of the school's secret societies. From the first day on campus, her plan hits a snag, but she won't let that curb her unrelenting enthusiasm.

Major players in the plot are her roommate Shay, who Andie is determined to help in choosing a major, and their RA Milo, who is dependent on caffeine. There is a very humorous sub-plot involving the coffee shop where Milo and Shay work and Andie's determination to cure his caffeine-addiction.

I absolutely loved how Emma resolved the love triangle. I was not expecting it at all and it fit seamlessly into the plot. I won't spoil anything but I thought it was perfect. There were so many unexpected moments in the overall plot and I love how much care went into constructing the story.

I loved the college setting for this book. Andie is a college freshman who transferred in the spring semester, and I appreciated that her transition onto campus wasn't seamless. There were so many authentic college scenes in this book - dorm game nights, struggling to balance the course work and extracurriculars, not sleeping enough, and struggling to find your identity while away from home for the first time. This was a sweet coming-of-age novel and I highly recommend it to YA Romance fans.

I am such an Emma Lord stan but that didn't impact my appreciation of this book. It was genuinely fantastic and heartfelt. I can't wait to read it again, which is the highest compliment I can give to a book.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for an eARC in exchange for my thoughts.

I have loved all of Emma Lord’s novels. Her writing has an unrelenting energy and charisma that just flies off every page. She makes you feel like her main characters are speaking to you and like you are their close friend.

Begin Again feels darker than Lord’s other books. It prominently features grief over the death of a parent and the profound effect that can have on someone. All of her books feature difficult or strained familial relationships, but Begin Again addresses that with even more depth. Andie deals with her father leaving her to be raised by her grandmothers and Milo struggles with the aftermath of his girlfriend cheating on him with his brother.

In Begin Again, the reader is let into Andie’s deepest and most intimate thoughts. On the outside, Andie is an endlessly energetic person, who is determined to fix the problems of everyone around her. However, she shares her feelings about her difficult relationship with her dad and her desire to live up to her mom’s legacy with the reader. Even in these moments where we see her at her most raw, Andie radiates warmth and optimism. It feels impossible not to like her. I mean, how could you not love someone who uses her favorite foods to replace swear words?

From the beginning, it is clear that Milo and Andie have a special connection. They share an understanding of what it means to lose a parent too young, and Andie had previously struggled with feeling distanced from others by that grief. It is so clear how deeply they care about each other: Andie notes that she is always aware of where he is in a room; Milo is willing to brave thunder snow to save her. Andie also notes how comfortable Milo’s mom makes her, which is certainly important for someone who lost her mom young. I absolutely fell in love with both Milo and Andie and their relationship reading this book.

I love how important Platonic relationships are in Lord’s work as well. Andie builds a loving and supportive friend group at Blue Ridge that makes her feel safe and welcome in the new school. It would have been so easy for the story to be about Andie having a hard time finding her social footing as a transfer student, but she almost immediate finds a fiercely loyal friend in her roommate, Shay.

Begin Again has endless heart and charm, and I would have expected nothing less from Lord. This book will make you laugh and will break you heart (but then put it back together again).

Begin Again is a book that follow Andie as she enters her first year at Blue Ridge College. The college represents more than a dream but also a connection with her mom, Amy, that has passed away when Andie was 11. Amy was a force to be reckoned with and served as the first knight in a secret radio broadcast she created to bring up issues in the school as well as broadcast news to the students. In addition, Andie has some of her mom's past ribbons from the annual ribbon collecting events that allows freshmen students to join secret school societies. With this little information about her mom, it fuels Andie to do whatever she can to try to find out more about her mom at this school.

Amongst all of this she finds out that her plan to surprise her boyfriend at Blue Ridge College has backfired when she finds out that he transferred to Little Fells Community College for her. Trying to keep the relationship alive the two continue their challenge as a long distance relationship and come to question if this is what they really want.

During Andie's journey she comes to form a tight knit group of friends with her roommate, Shay, her statistics tutor, Valeria, and her sleep deprived RA, Milo. The 4 of them come together and create a bond that supports each other throughout all the obstacles they encounter throughout college. Amongst it all Andie finds out who the current knight is for the secret radio broadcast and finds herself caught up in it, allowing herself to find herself and build more confidence in her voice.

In addition to the great friendship story that Begin Again follows, it also shows the importance of family as we look into the relationship between Andie and her distanced dad. When her mom passes away her dad runs away to deal with his sadness on his own leaving Andie with her two grandmas. With a rocky relationship her dad comes back to try to rebuild a bond and we can see the two navigate their problems with each other.

I rate this book a 4/5 because the story was easy to follow and I enjoyed each of the characters and what they brought to the story. There is a plot twist at about 70% of the book that I was not expecting at all and was really invested in after. I love the closure that you get on the book in the ending and it felt like a solid read with no questions left unanswered for the reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!