I read romances in the middle of the night when the insomnia won't let me sleep. I want banter and fluff and wit and a happy ending. Sometimes a romance will sneak in more serious subjects, which I appreciate when blended well.

That's the case here. I really admired Lord's skill in presenting a character that ordinarily would have irked the foo out of me--a twinkly go-getter who is hyper-super organized, and who pushes people into activities for their own good. But Andie, our heroine, is so appealing, so good-hearted in her fervent rush to overplan every aspect of her life as she tries to follow in her beloved (deceased) mother's footsteps as closely as she can. Even, though, as we slowly learn, they were two very, very different people.

Andie has been dating Connor since they were kids, and their lives are all planned out, right? Except Andie's one surprise--getting into the college that Connor is going to, mid-semester transfer--backfires when they contact each other on the first day to discover that his surprise was to transfer to the junior college she had been at.

At first Andie is overwhelmed, for in addition to a serious study load she has to do work-study to cover the high cost of tuition, but one by one she takes on these tasks, and makes friends while at it. Beginning with tall, lanky Milo, her dorm floor's RA, who is addicted to coffee.

Watching Andie get to know people, grow, and change, as her relationships evolve, was a quiet pleasure. This romantic novel maintained its delicate balance between romantic sweetness and some fairly serious subjects, including grief, with such skill. By the end I was totally in love with Andie--even if I would probably run the other way if I met her in real life!

This was so cute, excuse me while I go read all of Emma Lord's other books.

Literally read this in one setting, loved the found family trope and the college setting while still having a YA feel to it.

This was an okay read, but not my favorite Emma Lord by a long shot.

I always love Emma's ability to craft an all-encompassing and magically engaging narrative, but this one fell flat for me. It felt like there was entirely too much going on, and I wasn't charmed by any of the characters. I wanted to be swept up in Emma's magical story, and it just felt a bit bland, unexciting, and anti-climactic.

A big thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

I love Emma Lord!
Andie is such a sweet character, and reading about her navigate new beginnings that connect her to the mother that passed away when she was young was a beautiful way to spend a few days. As is the Emma Lord way, the supporting characters also knock it out of the park - Andie's roommate Shay, tutor Val and RA Milo are all lovingly written and stand on their own. I'd read spinoffs about them all.
Most of all, this book reminded me of those early college days when you're finding a new family the first place you've chosen to be, and that is a precious thing.

Emma Lord's books ALWAYS delight me. Begin Again is a solid YA contemporary about a girl attempting to follow in her late mother's footsteps at her collegiate alma mater while juggling academic pressures, a long distance boyfriend, and her relationship with her father. Lord always has rich characters and ties them together beautifully. Perhaps not my personal favorite of her books, but certainly well written and enjoyable.

What I loved most about this was that the university she goes to felt a little bit like my college experience.

Emma Lord is the Queen of Meet Cute young romances. Her writing makes me feel young again, vividly describing a college campus with activities I'd most definitely sign up for. The characters in this book work at the fictional Bagelopolis that had me visiting my neighborhood Finagle-A-Bagel only to be disappointed they didn't serve unicorn cream cheese or coffee so strong it was deemed "Eternal Darkness."

For a few days I happily enrolled at Blue Ridge State with transfer student and aspiring advice-giving personality Andie Rose. Andie's story is centered around uncertainties. After losing her mother at a young age and being raised mostly by her grandmothers Andie knows one thing for certain- she belongs at Blue Ridge State. She navigates her way through the second half of her freshman year trying to do it all- honor her mom’s (an important BRS alum) memory, pass her classes, complete her work study hours, make new friends and time for her boyfriend back home. Upon arrival Andie is determined to complete challenges and collect enough ribbons to be eligible to join all the secret societies offered at school, just like her mom.

At BRS she falls into an easy friendship with her roommate Shay, and RA Milo. Andie and Milo's friendship had me smiling from the start and smiling now as I write this. Milo's moodiness and Andie's antics complement each other well and Milo surprisingly takes Andie under his wing and lends a shoulder when college proves to be tough in ways studying won’t help. Andie’s relationship with her dad, her long-distance relationship, academic struggles and general young adolescence angst challenge Andie in ways she’s unprepared for but embraces regardless. The whole book is all heart. A bit of a roller coaster for Andie, but I loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books for allowing me AGAIN to read Emma Lord’s latest early! This one is out in February, and it will be all over my socials. Loved it!

**Review will be published on my site and socials January 19th, 2023**

LOVED, AS ALWAYS.

Emma Lord books just hit different. They are everything I wish I could have read at the young adult age. Filled with promising outlooks, taking on new challenges and letting go of things holding you back, Begin Again was yet another beautifully crafted read.

I adored Andie. Yes, she definitely was making some poor decisions, but character arcs are my jam and I LOVED her self revelations and discoveries about how she had been handling many facets of her life. I found myself teary every time these books come to a close because they’re just so GOOD. I love the parent discussions, the formation of life length friendships, and falling in love (with the right guy).

College plots need more books. I thought it was a lot of fun with the broadcasting segments, finding ribbons, work/study jobs and more. There were all of these little aspects of the setting that I know contributed to my love of this book.

And the romance was so sweet!! It was a slowwww burn. But the development from friendship to relationship was wonderful. Filled with the tender moments and then (when the time was right) realizing that those feelings had become more. Milo was an absolute gruff sweetheart and I LOVED IT.

I’ll just be sitting here waiting for the next book from one of my favorite auto-read authors.

Overall audience notes:
- YA Contemporary Romance
- Language: a little strong
- Romance: kisses
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a mother from cancer (off page, mentioned), cheating, loss of a father from a car wreck (off page, mentioned)

Begin Again has all the sweet characteristics of an Emma Lord story. It is an enjoyable read, but at times the story did feel drawn out. Andie and Connor were a cute pair and overall the story will be enjoyable to YA readers.

I adore Emma Lord and sooo wanted to love this one. I’ve read all her books. This was my least favorite.

Andie and Connor are in college, which is new territory for Lord. While this was still classified as YA…it felt too juvenile. It was somewhere between YA and adult without being either.

It did have some classic Lord characteristics that I loved, like delicious food descriptions and fun banter. I felt that Andie and Connor’s strained relationship was drawn out too long. I wanted more Milo and college friends and for her to truly show more growth. By the time that happened, the book was over. This one was just missing something for me. Not my favorite, but I will still read her next book! I hear she is writing an adult romance too.

As a fan of Emma Lord’s previous books, I was excited to get my hands on this ARC. This one fell a little flat for me. Lord, as usual, creates very lovable characters that you root for as they grapple with family issues and budding romance.

Andie grapples with adjusting to college life, making new friends and her unexpected long-distance relationship. She feels that she is in the shadow of her mom, who passed away when she was young. Her grandmas basically raised her while her dad was absent dealing with his own grief.

I thought the secret radio personality and ribbon-getting/ secret society obsession was a bit silly. Overall, though, I liked the friend characters and her grandmas. The love story was pretty convincing as well -Andie and Milo had a real connection built on a friendship.

Add a star if you are actually a YA.

Thank you for the chance to read this.
I’ve loved everything I’ve read from Emma Lord this far and this one did not disappoint. Such a cute easy read. Very heartfelt and just what I was looking for. Will definitely recommend, and pick up a copy for my daughter

Begin Again by Emma Lord

With Taylor Swift lyrics running through my head and having loved When you get the Chance, I picked up Begin Again wanting a cute and breezy ya read and this did not disappoint.

Andie has a plan. Work hard, transfer to Blue Ridge State from community college to be with her boyfriend, Connor, and experience the place and traditions where her parents fell in love. Once she arrives, things aren’t going exactly to plan but she makes a group of new friends including her RA Milo, roommate Shay and tutor Valeria. In avoidance of her own relationship problems and struggling with classes, she sets out to fix all her friends’ problems and mostly makes things worse for everyone. This was such a cute coming of age story - her sweet and sassy grandparents, her work study at the bagel shop, her quest to get ribbons to join a secret society, her stumbling upon and then participating in an underground broadcast where she gives advice - it all was just a lovely path on discovering who she wants to be and to spend her time with. When Andie sets out to face her own issues instead of focusing on her friends’, she really finds herself. It is a bit cutesy and the way Andie “curses” is a bit over the top, but Emma Lord does well with quirky and it’s mostly endearing.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the arc in exchange for my feedback!

This is cute and full of that EL charm that I have come to know and adore. This is book #4 for EL and she has come to proven herself as a reliable and consistent creator of warm YA stories that are full of heart and personality.

And this one has every page filled with new college adventures, making the most of dorm living, creating a found family, finding new hobbies, personal growth and forgiving the past. So much good content wrapped up in a fun story.

However, this book commits one of my greatest pet-peeves when it comes to characterisation and that's when a MC uses “cute” language as a substitute for swearing. In this case, Andie uses her favourite food. And let me tell you what - it's obnoxious. I didn't find it endearing or quirky, I actually found it really annoying.

But beyond those eye rolls, this actually is a really sweet story and a great addition to EL's bibliography!

"I've never believed in fairy tales; I've only ever believed I our power over our own fates.But whatever happens next, we'll always have this-the kind of moment that proves magic isn't just for pages in a story but something you can fine all on your own."

Emma Lord has done it again. Perfection. I want to hug this book for all of eternity. I can't even put into words how much I loved this story. Emma Lord has the ability to perfectly balance humor, heart and emotions. I was laughing, crying and cheering through out this story. You will root for Andie every step of the way and you will fall head over heels in love with Milo. Honestly the characters in the this book are so well developed and relatable you'll feel like you've known them forever. Begin Again is a wonderful coming of age story full of heart, laughs and great characters.

As per usual, I’m always excited for a new Emma Lord book! While this wasn’t quite the story I was expecting, I still really enjoyed it. Heartfelt and profound, Begin Again shows us all the ways that a new day can be a new beginning.

Andie Rose has everything figured out: she’s just transferred to Blue Ridge State, where her parents attended, to major in psychology and plans to surprise her boyfriend. Her plans go awry almost immediately when she finds out that he transferred to her previous college and her first day of class goes horribly. All of her ideas to help her new roommate Shay figure out her major don’t work, and her R.A. Milo keeps pointing out flaws in her ironclad plans. Over time, however, she has to realize that life doesn’t always go the way you expect it to, but sometimes that works out for the better.

I really liked the characters! Andie is a fixer, which ultimately stems from her desire to fit into people’s lives. She’s always scared of people leaving her, so she thinks that people will like her more if she can help them in any way. I like that she gradually realizes that she can’t help everyone though; at some point, she has to put herself first. Milo tells her this often, and in turn, she helps him with some family issues that he refuses to face.

There was also a subplot where Andie tries to help her roommate Shay and her tutor Valeria get together. It was good to see that her meddling doesn’t always end well and that people’s lives are more complex than she accounts for.

I liked Andie’s character arc! While dealing with her inability to say no, she also faces her memories of her deceased mother and how the fear of losing a loved one has led her to stick with what’s comfortable. Her boyfriend’s family has become hers, even though it’s clear that their love for her is conditional. She also doesn’t want to take on the chance to be a host on the radio show her mother created because she doesn’t want to tarnish her memory. Overall, I just enjoyed seeing her growth throughout the story.

The romance was so sweet, and I just really liked seeing how Andie and Milo support and help each other grow. There’s a lot to their relationship but I think it was just really nice to see how they befriend each other first.

Begin Again was a sweet, heartwarming story with clear character growth. I liked the characters and found the romance to be very cute. If you’re a fan of Lord’s other books, particularly You Have a Match, I think you’ll enjoy Begin Again!

Emma Lord has done it again! I read this book in one sitting; I couldn’t get enough of adorable Andie and her friends. Milo is truly a love interest after my heart, and his carefulness with Andie really got me. Andie’s slow understanding of herself in the midst of a complicated relationship, a complicated family, and a new school is gripping, funny, and sweet. August is my new favorite month of the year since it’s when I know I’ll get to read new Emma Lord!

This story was everything, all rolled into one. A study of grief, outgrowing old things, finding your own path through life, courage, love, the very topsy-turvy nature of life, and nature itself. This book was wonderful and was such an easy read without being boring or predictable. I love that it combined several different genres with several types of characters! The author did a phenomenal job on this and I will happily read it again!

Thank you NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Emma Lord for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I really enjoyed the author’s last book and decided to pick this one up because of that. This is a cute book and shows college in a really realistic light! I could definitely relate to a lot of the feelings that Andie has as she starts at Blue Ridge State. I also really enjoyed learning about her roommate Shay and how she’s a Bookstagrammer! I’m also on Bookstagram and it was super fun seeing it referenced in a YA book. Andie’s grief was also really well done and so was her relationships with Connor and Milo. Overall, this is a super fun YA book and I think people looking for an easy college read will enjoy this one!

Andie has worked her butt off to transfer to Blue Ridge, where her boyfriend currently attends and where her parents met and fell in love. She's so scared of not living up to her (deceased) mom's reputation, though, that she finds herself avoiding some of the things she loves most. One thing she's never struggled with, though, is making friends, and soon enough she's amassed a small army - Milo, her RA, Shay, her roommate, and Valeria, her math tutor. Andie is the rock holding their little group together, but she's also trying to fix everyone's problems, and of course, inadvertently makes things worse. Can she help turn things around, or was it a mistake to come here in the first place?

Begin Again by Emma Lord comes out January 24th and is a sweet coming of age story about Andie, a college freshman transferring mid year to an elite college, Blue Ridge State. Andie builds new friendships, including her roommate Shay and her grumpy RA, Milo. She becomes involved with the school’s private radio station as The Fixer, giving advice. At the same time Andie’s boyfriend, Connor, transferred from Blue Ridge State back to their hometown’s community college.

Andie is learning to adjust to school, her work study job at the bagel shop and working through family loss.

I especially enjoyed the humor. For example, Shay keeps Andie from being run over when a class lets out.

“Shay yanks me into the grass before we get caught in the maelstrom of elbows and bright blue coffee cups, and we watch them go by like Simba on the edge of a wildebeest herd.”

I struggled with Connor and Andie's lack of communication, especially in the beginning. I loved the theme of friendship and forgiveness.

Begin Again has a similar feel to her last book, Take a Chance on Me. I didn’t want to put the book down. I wanted to find out how it would all turn out, especially the romance.

Thank you Emma Lord, NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy of the book.