This book was really great. I loved both of the characters. I loved their relationship and the explicit representation.

When it comes to YA there’s two types: one with the main characters being within the age range, and the other is YA written specifically the people in that age range. This one leaned more towards the latter. I read Our of Character and can’t remember much more than the representation it had and, unfortunately, I think that this one is just as unmemorable. The author frequently lost focus of the setting and any conversation was more monologue like and it wasn’t an enjoyable read for me. I loved the fat lesbian representation but that’s about it for me. It reads as any other YA fic you may think of when you think of YA. It just wasn’t for me.

A cute queer read that serves as a lighthearted, fluffy follow up to Miller's debut. I loved the nuanced conversations about queerness and girls in sports.

"We Got the Beat" is my second by Jenna Miller read and even though I'm not the target demographic, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the story of Jordan Elliott, a determined and resilient teenager navigating the complexities of friendship, betrayal, and self-discovery.

Miller skillfully portrays the struggles and triumphs of teenage life, capturing the essence of high school experiences with authenticity. Jordan's journey of self-discovery, acceptance, and learning to trust again is relatable and heartfelt. As she grapples with past humiliations and confronts her own biases, readers are taken on an emotional rollercoaster that resonates on a universal level.

This was a great take on the jock/art type. I really enjoyed the second chance aspect of this as well. It was nice to read a YA book with a chance at falling in love but also pointing out that forever was really just for now. Great story, including the reconciliation after the third act break up! Thanks NetGalley for the eARC!

Jenna Miller's We Got The Beat is a lovely story about forgiveness and love in a way that has you rooting for Jordan and Mack the whole time! It has all of the drama and insanity of a true high school romance!

You can definitely tell that this is a YA book, but it’s really sweet. It truly speaks to the experience of first love and discovering who you are and what you feel.

Read For:
Sapphic
Volleyball
Nerd/Jock
Fat Positive
Friends to Enemies to Lovers

Summary: (spoiler-free)
Jordan (the main character) was working on getting a role in her school’s paper, hoping for an editor role to help her career of being a journalist but it doesn’t work out as planned and now has to work with an ex-friend/crush who happens to be the captain of the volleyball team who Jordan was assigned to write for. Is she able to put aside the past or does it all get to her?

This was such an enjoyable book. From the amazing cast of characters who were flawed, unique, and fit so perfectly with one another; to the plot and drama of this book it was all done so well. I loved the characters and how detailed they were, the relationships, both romantic and platonic, were done so well. They all had such a good history and interacted flawlessly with one another.

Jordan has to be one of the nicest journalists (even high school level) to ever exist. Even with her flaws and things she messed up at one point, she owned up to her mistakes and genuinely fixed them and worked on making the situation better.

I loved the ending and how things came together in the last chapter. And of course, this cover was absolutely adorable. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books along with the author for this eARC of this book.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (5/5)
Release Date: 20, February 2024
POV: First Person
Spice: n/a
Rep: Lesbian, Fat MC, Lesbian LI, Korean-American Bisexual SC, Jewish SC, Non-Binary teacher.


⚠️Content Warnings:
Moderate: Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Bullying, Body shaming, and Cursing
Minor: Stalking, Lesbophobia, Eating disorder, and Injury/Injury detail

Thank you NetGalley, Quill Tree Books, and Jenna Miller for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! The cover is GORGEOUS and is the main reason I picked it up haha. However, it’s fun story that is set in high school with some lovable characters.

This book follows Jordan, who is a member of the newspaper staff, as she receives some bad news. She did not get the editor position she wanted, but instead has to write about the volleyball team. And even worse: the team captain is her nemesis, Mackenzie West.

This is a YA romance that is really sweet. My main complaint was that the book felt a little long without too much plot, but I’m sure some people will love it for this. It has excellent representation and some fun supporting characters. I recommend it for people who like this genre!

Many thanks to the publisher, HarperCollins/ Quill Tree Books, for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

As a fat nerd, I really enjoyed Miller’s debut, OUT OF CHARACTER, so I was very excited for this book. WE GOT THE BEAT is the sort of YA contemporary romance that made me love the genre—a relatable story with emotional stakes and realistic characters that speaks to teenagers where they’re at. I feel like this story could be happening right now in about any high school in the country. Miller’s sophomore release is a wonderful work, and I highly recommend it.

The main character, Jordan, is what I’m affectionately calling a “lovable curmudgeon.” She’s not particularly bubbly, outgoing, or happy-go-lucky, and that’s something that really endeared me to her. Jordan is incredibly focused on her future goals—getting into Columbia and majoring in Journalism. As such, her main want in the book is an editor position on the school newspaper despite being a junior. Everything seems on track for her goals until she receives her assigned beat: covering the volleyball team. Jordan is frustrated by this, but things go from bad to worse when she realizes that she’ll have to write a feature piece about the captain of the volleyball team. And who is the team captain?

Mackenzie West. AKA the former friend who ditched her freshman year for the popular kids and started a rumor that Jordan is a weird stalker.

So in order to work her beat and earn her editor position for the next year, Jordan has to follow Mackenzie around, interview her and the volleyball team, and deal with all the feelings she’d buried for years digging their way back up. The weird part is, Mackenzie seems to want to be friends again. But is she truly sorry? Or does she just want Jordan to write a glowing feature article about her?

In my opinion, Miller handles the push and pull of Jordan and Mack’s relationship extremely deftly. They both have reasons not to trust each other, but also many reasons to want to try to mend fences. The build of their emotions is slow, steady, and incredibly believable. Never was there a moment where I was ripping my hair out because everything would be solved if the two of them would just have a two-minute conversation. Jordan and Mackenzie are actually shockingly open with each other, but there is a lot of real hurt there, and the pace of their working through those feelings was spot on. It was incredibly organic, and at the same time, the book did not drag at any point.

I highly recommend this book for lovers of YA lesbian romances (and the book is explicit lesbian rep! yay!). It rings very true and has many swoony moments that made me squee. I rooted for the two main characters the entire time, and it has vibes of will-they-won’t-they in the most satisfying way. The supporting cast is very well-rounded and realistic as well. It’s so easy to have the “popular girls” be these kinds of 2D villains that the nerdy MC has nothing in common with, but there are no such cliches here! Jordan’s two best friends have deeper lives than simply being vehicles for Jordan’s growth, as well as their own character arcs. The whole thing is incredibly refreshing. I loved this book! You should definitely pick it up!

We Got The Beat took me a moment to get into because I wasn't a journalism kid, but then it hooked me and I was eagerly along for the ride. It is cotton candy sweet at times that will leave you with a bright smile, but there's an element of realness that hits you in the feels (I teared up a couple times). Jenna doesn't shy away from pointing out that bullying is a thing and how much it really does suck, and even the breakup of a friendship that you didn't expect. That realness really drew me into the characters especially our main heroine, Jordan. Jordan didn't let the dissolution of her friendship with Mackenzie be the end of her high school existence, instead she was able to keep her other friendships going (shout out to Isaac and Audrey who are the world's best friends ever) and deeper her passion for journalism.

When Jordan has to be around Mackenzie in order to report the volleyball beat for the school paper she manage to do so with a lot of professionalism for a high schooler (I'm sorta petty so I doubt I would have been as professional as Jordan in that situation, haha). Their friendship blossoms and I'm sure you can predict the rest. It's a fun ride that has highs and lows, but in the end is about being yourself and surrounding yourself with amazing people. Jordan's family is also another great addition to the book and I feel like Jenna has a knack for writing awesome dads (I love how nerdy this family is in this book).

A great second book from what I hope will be a long list of books from Jenna Miller. I can't complain about how good it is to see these books that I didn't have in high school coming out now (plus-size, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC representation!).

AH THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING. Full transparency, I was a yearbook kid in high school who fell in love with a softball player, so this book was a bit on the nose for me 🤣 BUT. Jenna Miller delivers yet again on the queer plus size romances I WISH I could have been reading in high school. Honest, poignant, full of a bit of heartache, this was exactly as it should be. Plus, I fell in love with my wife in Minnesota, so the setting was perfect too. Enough personal stuff though - Miller knows how to craft a kickass queer romance and I’m ready to continue to read every single thing she puts out. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, AND Jenna for sneaking this advance copy my way. 💛

This book is mainly geared towards the YA audience, but I absolutely enjoyed it.
The main characters are Jordan and Mackenzie. They were once best friends until Jordan came out to Mackenzie and they were no longer friends.
Fast forward a few years and Jordan is handed the not so interesting volleyball beat of the school newspaper. To make matters worst is the captain of the volleyball team is Mackenzie.
Jordan is determined to do the best she can and be professional around Mackenzie. She attends games and even travels with them to an away event. All is going well until a snowstorm keeps the team & Jordan there overnight. Accommodations are given to everyone making them pair up with a teammate except for Jordan. That is until Mackenzie knocks on Jordan's door.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever come out to someone and it didn't go as planned.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I won't lie, the cover pulled me in before the description even had a chance, but the story within is even better! This book broke my heart and put it back together over and over again. Which is expected in a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers rom-com.

Jordan and Mack were friends for one summer, until Mack upgraded to the popular crowd when school started. Jordan is labeled the "summer stalker" and spends the rest of high school avoiding Mack. The plan is going perfectly until Jordan doesn't get editor-in-chief position on the school paper she had been hoping for, instead she will be covering the volleyball beat. Who is the captain of the volleyball team? Mackenzie West, of course!

Mack is suspiciously nice to Jordan when she finds out. It's all a plot for Jordan to write a nice piece about Mack, right? Jordan isn't sure who the real Mack is and whether letting her back into her life and heart is a mistake.

A few rash decisions that are made when emotions are high, have disastrous consequences. Sometimes being honest and speaking your truth is all you can do.

Okay, take a minute and see the cover. This is a book you should definitely judge by its cover. Aka, it's the perfectly snarky but also sweet, enemies to lovers sapphic romance 😭

So the tropes are, yeah, enemies to lovers + second chance romance following a betrayal two years back + forced proximity in the present. The emotions surrounding each of these tropes was written so well okay, this book was perfectly angsty in the best way. My mental state was halfway between happy tears and sad tears and nervous tears throughout the book, it was the best.

This book really did take me back to the angstiness and hopefulness of high school, it was so perfectly YA! I love it now, and I certainly would've loved it as a teen <3

Also, YAY for a fat MC, especially one who toes the fine line of loving herself but also is wary/insecure of other people's thought processes! I certainly didn't see such MCs in books growing up, so my teenage would've really, really loved this book <33

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I loved Out of Character, Jenna Miller's debut novel, but We Got the Beat is a sophomoric achievement and probably one of my favorite YA releases I've read this year. From the moment I picked it up to the last page, I could not put this down. We Got the Beat features a compelling cast of messy and lovable characters, a compelling enemies-to-lovers romance, and fun newspaper shenanigans. The DRAMA in this book will leave you screaming, crying, laughing and wanting more long after you've finished.

Thanks Net Galley for the copy!

"We Got the Beat" by Jenna Miller is an exceptional read that beautifully captures the essence of LGBTQIAP+ romance within the context of teenage life. The author's writing style effortlessly brings out the emotions of the characters, making their journey relatable and heartwarming. The book's portrayal of young love and self-discovery is both authentic and inspiring, making it a must-read for anyone who enjoys a touching and engaging YA romance.

We Got the Beat by Jenna Miller transported me right back to high school (in some of the best and worst ways- so I felt really connected). We've all suffered disappointment when some big thing we wanted didn't go our way, so we find ourselves rooting for Jo right away. She has a cool family, and unique friends.

I love the way Miller describes her characters. It's straight forward, but honors their traits without skirting around it. So refreshing to not hear a full physical description of someone to imply they are Asian, without just saying it. Similarly, we know right off the bat that Jo is fat and fine with that and I am HERE for it.

My maturity definitely dipped while reading this because I was so invested that I got a little wound up. As a high school teacher, this is the kind of book I want my students to read. Jo grows in the story, as do her friends, and I think high school students could use a book that encourages this level of emotional maturity!

I really enjoyed this one! I have some students I will be recommending it to when it is published. I will also purchase a copy for my classroom. It was predictable, cute, and I was invested in the characters' lives.

OOO friends to enemies to lovers is such a fun trope! I had a good time reading this. It was cute and funny and overall had some great rep!