In theory, the plot of this book is amazing. It sounded like a modern version of the classic movie rom-com/reunion story, and I was excited for it!

The execution didn't work for me, though. The writing wasn't very polished. It was tough to connect with any of the characters, and their shallow and immature behavior felt cringeworthy instead of endearing. I held out until the end, hoping for character growth, but it ended with an abrupt epilogue that didn't really redeem anyone.

Ellie is now a write on a very popular high school-based TV show. But years ago, she was in high school and in that in-between group of not popular, but not, not popular group. Her producer finds out about her class reunion and thinks this would be a great idea to reignite Ellie's writing and if she goes the result will potentially be a promotion to co-executive producer. With the help of two friends, Ellie is given a list of things to accomplish with her high school classmates - based on what they were voted in high school. While home, Ellie first runs into her high school crush, Mark, and then her former best friend, Roxy. Ellie begins crossing things off her list with her Mark, but also while discovering that no one is the same as they were in high school. I very much enjoyed this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Forever publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Read if you like:
❤️ second chance romances
❤️ tv behind the scenes
❤️ small town romances
❤️ friends to lovers
❤️ Forced Proximity

This one had a lot of promise but just didn’t knock it out of the park for me. I feel like my biggest let down was that I wasn’t rooting for any of the characters or identifying with them or liking them all that much.

This is more so one that if you like romances with unlikable characters then it may be for you. Also, the characters were written with a YA feeling and there is a reason I don’t read a lot of YA because I don’t like the immaturity of the characters like those in this book.

Thanks to the publisher for my ARC copy in exchange for my thoughts.

Thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
***Possible Spoilers***
Did you love or hate high school? Were you popular, an outcast or in the middle? Do you ever want to go back? What if a job advancement depended on it and you can go back to correct a wrong without any other details, would you? This is all of the dilemmas that Ellie faces in Ellie is Cool Now. She is living her best LA life, working for a popular teen tv show when your boss sends her out on an adventure she doesn’t ever want to do….GO TO HER HIGH SCHOOL REUNION with a lists of tasks to complete with her high school crush! Over the course of 1 week, Ellie discovers that most parts of high school and the people were awful. But in the end, she discovers true happiness. On a scale of 1-5 for spicy, it’s maybe a 2 with a HEA.

Ellie Jenkins always wanted to work in LA and she got her wish. She works as a writer for a popular TV show centered around a high school. The irony of it is that she hated high school herself. When she writes an episode for the show, the executive producer hates it and feels like she needs some new perspective. Knowing her 10 year high school class reunion is coming up, he requests she go and if she does, she can work her way closer to the promotion she's always wanted. It turns out that there is a list she has to complete in order to earn the promotion.

Once she's back home, she begins to run into people from her past, including Mark, who is still as good looking as he was in high school and her ex-best friend. She ends up getting help with her list from the unlikeliest of sources and she realizes that just because you were one way in high school, you don't stay that way.

I enjoyed this book, but it took me a long time to want to root for Ellie. There were several times I found her to be immature and hard to connect with. I also found the romance a bit difficult to totally believe given the timing. I wished the ex hadn't been so present all the time because I felt like there was an eww factor to that. Overall it was a good read and sadly, I could identify with some of it given my own experiences in high school.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Ellie is Cool Now follows Ellie Jenkins, a successful TV writer who has worked hard to forget about her nerdy, outcast teen years. However, when she is offered a promotion that requires her to attend her high school reunion, she realizes that she can’t escape her past.

The writing and premise of the book are interesting, and the authors do a great job of exploring some deeper topics like bullying, addiction, and the pressures of fitting in. The story is also filled with humor, and the interactions between the characters are fun to read. However, I found the protagonist, Ellie, to be very immature and hard to connect with. Her behavior and choices often felt erratic and irrational, which made it difficult to root for her. The story also had a lot of stereotypical people that didn’t feel like fully fleshed-out characters.

I have mixed feelings about the romance. I wish that there was a bit more development and chemistry as Ellie and Mark take a second chance at romance. And the fact that he showed up with his ex, who he still lives with, rubbed me the wrong way. Also, I didn’t love the friendship between Ellie and Roxy. I feel like Roxy took advantage of Ellie so many times, and Ellie didn’t really stand up for herself.

I enjoyed the themes of forgiveness and self-acceptance, but I felt like a lot of the characters were so immature, and I had to remind myself they were in their late twenties because they acted sooo much younger. I’ve been out of high school for a long while, and this book did not make me eager to attend any reunions in the future.

Overall, I thought the story was an ok read. It’s quick and light and there are some strong messages. Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Ellie Jenkins is a TV writer for a popular TV show about high school. Ironically Ellie hated high school. She has written an episode for the mid season finale and the boss hates it. He requests for her to go to her 10 year high school reunion to gain some fresh perspective. Her friends come up with an "Ellie is cool now" list. If she completes the list she will be named co- executive producer.

She teams up with her high school crush, Mark Knight and he helps her with the list.

This was a fun hilarious fast read about high school/ small town shenanigans. At first I wasn't a fan of Ellie but by the end I was rooting for her.

Thanks to Forever for a copy of Ellie is Cool Now.

Unfortunately this was not the book for me. I have to laugh because my 20th high school reunion would be this year if they were doing anything (not that I would ever go) so I was definitely thinking a a little bit about high school and people I went to school Ruth while reading.

Ellie was way too immature and I honestly thought I was reading a YA book. None of the characters were likeable and why would anyone root for Mark....

The premise sounded fun but the actual story didn't live up to the reality..

“Ellie is Cool Now”, a hot shot tv writer whose cynical as hell gets sent back to her hometown high school reunion by her boss to gain some fresh perspective.

Hop, skip, and a jump a crazy list comes into existence and Ellie’s boss gives her a choice, complete the list and become a co producer or stay where you are.

10 years out of high school and you
Think there would be maturity. The main character lacks it. She is a character you love at times but also so annoying you just want to smack her.

A rarely sober ex best friend and a long awaited high school crush dominate Ellie’s time back in Ohio.
There was much that ended too quickly and unresolved.

All and all it was still a delightful read, although I feel it would have done better as a series.

Ellie is a TV screenwriter on a show about high school kids called "Cooler than You." She is hoping for a promotion. Her boss thinks she judges people too much to move up, so he pushes her to attend her ten year high school reunion. She must revisit high school and complete a list of tasks to show that "Ellie is Cool Now."

I initially related to Ellie with her snarky, cynical attitude about high school and the cool kids. I appreciated the writing. It's such a fascinating meta-story, as Ellie's boss talks about her character arc.

However, referring to everyone by their high school superlatives (e.g. Best Smile) was a bit hard to track. I had to bookmark the list and go back and forth frequently to remember who was who. The further the story went, the more characters we met and the less I was engaged in the story or Ellie's goals. That's partially because I actively disliked the love triangle and didn't find it added to the overall storyline.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

CW: alcoholism, cancer, infidelity

This book didn't really do it for me at the start - I had just read a YA novel and was not keen on the high-school reunion angle. BUT then it really its stride and showed me how it was different, and sexy, and funny and kind of heart-warming in its own sweet way!

I loved how it dealt with some really tough topics (alcoholism, break ups, illness) and yet remained fun and balanced. I imagine this title will be well-received as an audio book because the main character's voice really shines through here.

Ellie is sent home from LA to her high school reunion to check off some boxes so that she can magically earn a promotion. Yeah right (this is the part I had a bit of a problem with) but when she finds herself face to face with her high school crush and he offers to help her out, things start looking up. I was convinced a few chapters later and almost missed my stop on the train because I just needed to know what was going to happen next.

This book is full of action and fun, there's no slow bits that's for sure. Set over an extended long weekend (minus the obligatory epilogue??) the novel is really well distributed - I was a bit wary but truly enjoyed the read!

2.5 rounded up. I wanted to love this - similar to Ellie I was a margins kid in high school and now feel like I have a “very cool” life. But GOSH the writing of this book. I didn’t love any of the characters and some of the handling of the deeper topics (divorce, alcoholism, DV) felt very trite and poorly thought through. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Holy over-reaching bosses Batman! I loved and hated Andy- the whole time. It never changed. I get that our girl has issues, and she is definitely too judgemental.... but, just holy crap. Ellie is a grown adult that did not care for high school- if she wants to stay stuck in her trauma, who is he to dangle a promotion she deserves as bait to go tripping down memory lane? Still, if he hadn't this would be a pretty short story (not to mention pointless). On the other hand, I loved her besties, Vic and Tina. Even as they egg her on and make her mission even harder with the "Ellie is cool now" list of things to do at the high school reunion they are obviously all in for her and make the best (most hilarious) cheer squad ever.

This book is a ton of fun, while also dealing with some heavy subjects and some pain. It didn't shy away from tough topics, but they never dragged the story down. The other characters at the reunion were interesting, and I loved watching their personalities come through. Roxie is damaged and you spend half the book worried about her; but at the same time I think she had the most growth and was, weirdly, the most adult character in the book. (Seriously, don't expect a lot of actual maturity here even if it is ten years after high school.) Mark is a great character- lost and trying to figure his life out after it didn't go the way he (read: his father) wanted. He has to decide who he wants to be, where he wants to live and who he wants to be with. It's a lot. Even still, he's all in trying to help Ellie with her list and shows a sweet vulnerability that I liked. The character that surprised me? Forever-frat-boy Kyle. I ended up cracking up when his scenes came up. His drunken ridiculousness should have made me angry, but I ended up taking a shine to him. He's an overenergetic puppy- albeit a drunken one.

I'm rambling... I actually finished this book weeks ago, but I have been supremely lazy. I told myself I was waiting to get my thoughts in order- it didn't work. I still think about this book the same way I view watching a crazy tv show. You watch your favorite characters go through the most absurd situations while throwing popcorn at your screen telling them to grow up, all the while you're actually loving the whole thing. I still wonder how the side characters are doing (but they could not possibly make an acceptable sequel... Maybe Liz's story, though). I always feel that way after finishing a good book. For me, this was a good fast read. Four stars, bumped up to five for creativity.

★★★★★

On the adult content side, there's a lot. You have language, some light sexual content, and bullying. Trigger warning- some sexual violence and abuse. I would say this one is geared towards the 18+ crowd.

I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Forever Publishing in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!

I was pulled to this one by the blurb. It sounded so fun and I really wanted to give it a try. However, I just put it down for the third time. I am *struggling* to connect with this and I can't even put my finger on why. I think it feels...young. Too young. And maybe I am just too far away from that time in my life to relate? But since I have to suspend my own reality for a lot of books that I read, I'm not sure...

What I know is that there is something keeping me from connecting to the characters and the writing. I can't seem to invest in anything and so I'm going to count it as a DNF.

I really appreciate the opportunity to read and review. Unfortunately, this one is not my cuppa.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the NetGalley ARC as well as two physical copies of Ellie Is Cool Now! I breezed through this book over the weekend after returning from Rio, and I went to a new diner for breakfast after reading a scene where the MC visits Waffle House. Why oh why doesn’t Waffle House exist in the Northeast?!
Ellie lives in LA and writes for a popular TV show. She is invited to her 10 year high school reunion which she would rather not attend, BUT her boss insists she go in order to get a fresh perspective that will hopefully land her a coveted promotion. While back in Ohio for three days for the reunion, Ellie has a list of things to accomplish, written by her LA writer friends, and she recruits her high school crush to help her (which is actually one of the list items). It’s interesting to see how some people have changed a lot since high school, while others have not changed at all. I’ve never attended a high school reunion, but I enjoyed giggling, mostly at Ellie’s expense, while reading this book. If you are looking for a quick, fun read with a bit of romance, I think this is a good candidate for you!

Ellie hated high school. 10 years later she’s a writer for a popular tv show about kids in high school. Her boss senses her hate and tasks her with attending her reunion to change her attitude. She doesn’t want to go and she really doesn’t want to run into her ex-best friend or her old crush.

This book really nailed the stereotypes of high schoolers and captured things from that time, like best friend necklaces, Beanie Babies and the music. The writing really made you feel Ellie’s trepidation about reliving her high school years. But I didn’t necessarily love her character or end up rooting for her. Overall It was a cute, quick read but I feel like it could have been better.

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

Ellie hated high school and she had no intention of attending her 10th reunion but then her boss at the tv show where she works makes it a condition for promotion What she finds is a mixed bag where her classmates have both changed a lot and very little. This was unsurprising but entertaining because of Ellie, not her classmates. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

When I read the synopsis for this, I was irresistibly reminded of Never Been Kissed - the 1999 Drew Barrymore rom-com (which I remember fondly, in spite of its obvious faults) and because of that, I wanted to read this.

Despite being someone who loathed every day I spent at my high school and hasn’t been to a class reunion once since I graduated a few decades go, I really do enjoy a fun reunion story now and again (Simon Pegg's The World’s End!!!) so, that added to my interest in reading Ellie Is Cool Now.

And I’m so glad that I did, because this was such a fun, touching, and humorous read 😍. I adored the writing and humor in this; it elevated an already entertaining story premise.

I really enjoyed this book! There were several times when I found myself laughing out loud and I found the whole idea of revisiting high school so relatable. Sometimes Ellie was a little hard to root for, but I really came to love her in the end, especially once she and Roxy had their moment together. Overall, a great read for anyone who's ever wondered what if about their high school years.