thanks to net gallery & holiday house / peachtree / pixel+ink for the free earc in exchange for a fair and honest review!

so i already know i will be thinking about nothing other than this book for the foreseeable future. this book is just so perfect, from the miraculous ladybug-like identity reveal concept to some of the most realistic characterization of a high schooler i've seen in a long time in wren. i stayed up later to finish this book than i have in a long time, and i regret absolutely nothing. the way sensitive information was handled in this book was fascinating in the most positive way, and in between the cozy atmosphere the book paints i learned so much about society as a whole. the only negative thing i can come up with is that some plot devices are used for a very limited purpose, but are then repeatedly brought up after the fact, despite the limited use it had in the first place (ex. the honesty thing between wren and leo). despite this, the general lgbtq and especially ace representation is definitely above par, and the lack of any problems arising due to a characters queerness added even more to the already cozy nature of the book. i will be repeatedly recommending this to friends after its release date, and i'm very excited to see how this book does. i'm rooting for it.

note: there is a formatting error on page 165 in which a paragraph that should be formatted as a normal paragraph is formatted as a text message; it interrupted my reading slightly and i hope to see that fixed in the final version.

I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. It was so achingly realistic and made me so emotional.

Wren Martin Ruins It All has the asexual representation that I’ve been searching for. Wren’s story is much like my own, both with the asexuality and the grief. This story portrays grief in such a delicate way, while also showing how much it affects the decisions someone makes.

I LOVED the plot. The Buddy app??? So cool. Seeing the work that they put into the dance was fun. Ryan and Wren’s friendship was so enjoyable. Their dynamic was great. Leo easily became my favorite. Wren, however, will always hold a special place in my heart. Will never forget how much I laughed and cried during this book.

Overall, this book may have just become one of my top 10. I will probably always recommend this book now. Thank you NetGalley and PeachTree Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

omg I loved this book so so much, it was so sappy and sweet while also tackling grief and the fear of change. this book was just filled to the brim with tropes that were so so cute, i was giggling and kicking my feet the whole way through. i genuinely had sooo much fun reading this!!!!
i absolutely loved wren and leo, wren is such a fun narrator, he's so annoying yet so incredibly endearing and so so relatable. I did feel really bad for leo every time wren was mean to him though, I imagined him looking like a kicked puppy every time and I definitely understand why maggie hates him so much.
The dialogue between the two flowed natrually and I loved the heart to heart moments they had, especially their conversations on grief and regret.
I loved how the author seemlessly combines the romance aspect and the personal issues that they're both facing. it actually contributed to the romance and their issues weren't just a side plot to the romance.

some things I would change:
- I would've wanted more of an epilogue, or a longer chapter of how their relationship is going and how their dynamic has changed. I mostly just want to see them doing sappy romantic things together (I know the book is already really long but still.)
- I also think the Reveal could've been a bit longer., maybe a bit more emotional, I thought it was kinda weird that leo is just. completely fine with dating wren after he apologizes and none of his earlier reservations on it apply anymore.
- I wish there were more interactions between leo and wren where wren's not being mean to leo, especially after wren realizes his feelings.
- the formatting: I don't know if this is just the kindle version but the text conversations were aligned really weirdly and some texts were red for no apparent reason. I also caught a couple typos.
Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for an eARC

Everything seemed to be going wrong for Wren, but it was actually going so right.

This was such a CUTE read! It had me laughing so much and kicking my feet at Wren's antics. Wren was such a sarcastic and fun character, that you just have to love him. The romance was also so charming and sweet. In the end, I think this book was closer to a 4.5, but it made me just so happy while reading it that I'll round it up to a 5.

Looking forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5*

this book was so good!
wren was relatable and funny and leo was so sweet. i also loved the background character especially maggie and ms. little.

thank you netgalley for the e-ARC!

This book was such a fun and quick read! Wren is a bit chaotic and oblivious, which could have made him an annoying self-centred character. But that was not the case, I liked him a lot and it was fun to read the story from his point of view and see his character growing and understanding himself better.

The also enjoyed the storyline (even though overall there were no big surprises for me) and the way it was written. It was wonderful to read about an asexual character that just was living his live. Wren does struggle a bit with his identity, but it is not a big plot point. I do also appreciate books about aspec characters figuring things out, but it also was great to read about one that already is more secure in his identity.

There were only two tiny things I hope can be changed before the publication:
- When in the beginning it is discussed, why the Valentines Dance is not very inclusive, I would love to also see the word Amatonormativity, not only Heteronormativity. Later in the book aromanticism is also mentioned, but I would like to see it already in the beginning. When Wren talks about how the event is difficult for asexual people, it would be even more so for aromantic people
- at one point it is shortly discussed that aspec people are often excluded in queer spaces. On the same page, the abbreviation LGBT (not LGBT+, LGBTQIA+, or something similar more inclusive) is used. It would be great if that could be changed.

But that are only minor points, overall I loved this cute story and would recommend it to everyone in the mood for a YA romcom!

This is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2023!! WREN MARRIN RUINS IT ALL is full of humor, heart, and flawed/relatable teenagers. I was absolutely charmed by it and hope Amanda DeWitt writes more ace romcoms because these are incredible and very much needed!!