Rating: 4.5 Stars

Clara was seeing her hard work pay off. She attained her goal of teaching history and was on a tenure track at the university. When her former best friend and first love comes back into her life, Clara begins to realize her goals may have changed.

There is nothing better than reading a romance that combines my two favorite tropes - friends-to-lovers and second chance romance. This story reunites this couple after many years apart, and I really enjoyed rooting for Teddy and Clara to get that HEA.

This was really a story of the right person at the wrong time. Clara and Teddy met when they were 14 at a sleep-away camp for homeschooled kids. Miller showed me via flashbacks how it all began and took me through the ups and downs as their relationship grew and changed over the years. These peeks into the past were spread out, so I was made to wait for a full explanation as to what drove them apart and ended their friendship. It broke my heart because I could not fathom giving up what they did, but the great part was that they were getting a second chance.

It did seem that Clara was going to make the same mistake twice. *cue the frustration and fury* In the present timeline, she was driven by her career goals, and her decisions were very much informed by her past. Clara's family had fallen on hard times, so she sought stability and financial security and vowed not to give up her dreams for someone else.

Then there was Teddy. His love of history was inspired by Clara, but his career path had not been in quite the same straight line as hers. He also experienced some setbacks that derailed his plans, but there was always something he was sure about -- Clara.

I am pretty sure most readers will be frustrated by Clara. The push and pull made me a bit batty even if I understood the reasons. But my heart knew they belonged together. The fact that their paths kept crossing and that they still harbored strong feelings for each other after so many years was proof enough for me. I am trash for characters with history, and there was so much between these two.

With great characters, a quaint setting, and a touch of nostalgia, Given Our History won me over. It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to see Teddy and Clara find each other again and finally begin their life together.

I think this is a book that just wasn't the right timing for me. I adore everything about this cover, and the premise is really fun. There wasn't anything I disliked about the story or the characters, but I just couldn't get sucked into the story. I found myself distracted and uninterested in continuing to read it. I look forward to picking this one up and trying it at another time.

I always enjoy a second chance romance book and this one was okay. Not a favorite but would definitely recommend for romance readers.

As a history teacher, I liked the idea of history professors being the romantic leads in a story. However, beyond a few mentions of topics, there was actually no real history in the story. The plot goes back and forth from the present and their past history (get the play on words?) In the present, the heroine, Clara, has mixed feelings about seeing her one-time best friend, perhaps romantic interest, Teddy, after nine years when everything ended very badly for them. We don’t know what went happened to these two home-schooled kids who met at a camp for home-schooled kids. They’re both socially awkward, but they bond and become long-distance best friends.

It takes most of the book for us to find out what went wrong. Meanwhile, they seem to be recapturing their friendship while Clara works feverishly to try to qualify for early tenure which the chair of the department suggested she might qualify for. That was the part of the plot I totally didn’t buy. It is almost impossible these days for history PhDs to find tenure-track jobs. And universities don’t need to give them early tenure unless they have a better offer elsewhere. She doesn’t. And professors aren’t going to blithely give up a tenure-track job with the hope that they’ll find something elsewhere. That’s not the way the academic world works these days. So that whole subplot annoyed me.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Book review NetGalley

4⭐️ What a sweet romance just in time for fall! This story is the perfect second chance romance about two professors who grew up together and put their careers first, and then find themselves working at the same college and sharing an office. I loved so many things about this book, especially the MMC and his determination to go after the things he wants! I loved the dual time lines and watching this relationship from start to end.

Minor spoiler but not really: only thing I didn’t love was the FMC was so determined not to fall in love. I LOVE that she’s career driven but I felt like she was a love hater at time.

This was an advanced read copy I received through Netgalley so it’s not going to be officially published until August 27, 2024! But this is my honest review!

Add this book to your to read list, I promise you won’t regret it! & then let me know what you thought!

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Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller is both a romance and a little love story to academia: the good, the bad, the complicated. Miller's book captures the specialness of a college town and the quirkiness of professors perfectly. I'm an assistant professor who goes up for tenure next year, and I really felt for Clara and her experience.

Clara is an Assistant Professor of History whose world is turned over when an old friend/flame comes back into her life (and her office!). Theodore (Teddy) comes to the University of Irving as a Visiting Scholar, as crashes back into Clara's life.

Clara and Teddy's story is told as a past/present POV that begins with their initial meeting at camp seventeen years prior. Their friendship is so well formed, and I truly enjoyed getting to know the two during the flashback chapters.

POTENTIAL SPOILERS: Overall, I really enjoyed this book (even if it got the tenure process mostly wrong--no tenure committee would ever ask about a candidate's high school experience, nor would they care what one did before the period of review at the current institution). But those small errors didn't take anything away from the book; I imagine it's like an MD watching Grey's Anatomy.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this novel.

I loved this sweet fall romance so much. It wasn’t just a fall vibes romance but it was so much more. It took place at the beginning of the school year/university and went until Christmas so right through the fall time and had lots of great fall moments but it also did such a good job of giving us great characters and a great story.

I also loved that it was a single PoV. So many romances are duel PoV but this one just followed Clara and I really enjoyed that.

Clara and Teddy are two university professors with a history and it jumps back and forth between today and their back story.

It was beautifully written and I would highly recommend to all the romance readers out there.

It was a very solid 4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5 stars for this review.

I devoured this in one sitting on an airplane and absolutely adored it. A second chance, friends-to-lovers about two college professors set on a campus in the fall: it was the perfect summer to fall transition novel. Clara was a delightful lead - she was supportive of her sister and co-workers and yet had real struggles with professional and personal issues in a way that made her so relatable. And Teddy. Oh, Teddy. You were the cutest little shy nerdy cinnamon bun and I wanted to wrap you up in a fall scarf and force feed you caramel apples by a fire.

I'm not sure why this hit so right for me, but honestly a nerdy friendship that finally finds its happily ever after was just exactly what I wanted right now and I will be suggesting this to all my nerdy romance loving friends.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the chance to read and review!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It was wonderful from start to finish!

Just finished this book and I'm obsessed! Clara Fernsby has always been laser-focused on her career in history, and she's finally up for tenure. But things get complicated when her old flame, Teddy Harrison, shows up as a visiting scholar. Their past romance from summer camp resurfaces as they work together, and Clara finds herself falling for him all over again. If you’re into angsty slow burns set in academia, this one’s a must-read!

Friends to lovers and second chance are my favorite tropes and this book combines them both well. We get a dual timeline, seeing Clara and Teddy as teens who become best friends, and then as adults who have a lot of baggage. It's a funny and sweet romance with a little bit of steam.

Highly recommend.

I really enjoyed Given Our History! The story flowed well and I liked switching back and forth between present and past tense (past tense took place over the span of several years). Both main characters are very likable and have a backstory for each. An epilogue would have been nice to get a taste of Clara and Teddy's future. I plan to recommend Given Our History as a book club pick this fall! I'm interested in reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Kristyn J. Miller for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Given Our History hits shelves on August 27, 2024.

Sweet second chance romance. It was a page turner for me. I enjoyed the fmc and mmc. Their story is sweet and I rooted for them all along the way.

This story is told in multiple timelines and is a second chance at love romance. Clara never thought she would get a second chance to have a relationship with Teddy. The plot moves at a steady pace and explores the relationship as it develops in detail. The characters are fully formed and like able.

Thank you St Martin's Press, Netgalley and the author for this advance review copy.

I love second chance romances, however this one fell a bit flat for me. I wanted more from the present storyline - the reconnection and rediscovering each other, the pining! I wanted the past relationship to be explored more since that was the turning point for Clara, our FMC. But they didn't even talk about it (just in passing). Although that could have been read as a good thing seeing as there's no drama, the falling in love again just didn't feel that convincing.

However, I really enjoyed the past storyline: getting to know these two awkward nerdy kids who found their kindred spirits. I like that their personalities are not the usual personalities you'll see in romance books. I liked the writing, and felt the nostalgia of the early 2000s - CD players, Twilight, MySpace and Facebook! I also loved Clara's character growth towards the end.

Overall a 3.75 ⭐ for me.

This was a sweet second chance romance that gave me the same vibes of People We Meet On Vacation, although it wasn’t my favourite I can see how it will be popular for people who love a cozy romance read.

This book was cute. I typically enjoy the second-chance romance trope, and this book was just that.

All the what-ifs in life can lead to amazing things, and also lots of heartbreak. This book contained both, which worked well for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller was such a delightful romance and gave me lots of nostalgic vibes. I loved the flip between past/present perspectives and the second chance romance!

I was right at home amongst the My Chemical Romance & Twilight references, and the way this book was written had me cackling over and over. I’m also not too proud to admit that I teared up during a few points because I just really fell in love with our two main characters, and I was rooting so hard for them the entire time!

My final rating for Given Our History is 4.75 stars. I just had so much fun reading it and learning about the history of Clara and Teddy!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I'll admit that this one took me a long time to get into, partially because I was busy but also because there wasn't a ton of tension in the present-day timeline for the first half of the book. But once they two love interests hooked up, things got interesting and I flew through it in a day. Overall, I loved the character growth of the FMC, Clara. I loved the history nerd stuff and the college in the fall setting of it. It was cute and fun and sexy with a realistic portrayal of female orgasm (gasp) and I enjoyed myself.

4.5 ⭐s

Second chance romance goodness! Usually we can expect some angst with second chance romances, but this one was really soft and tender.

Clara and Teddy met years ago at summer camp for homeschool kids. They become best friends, and after several years, they try for more. But after a painful falling out, Clara and Teddy haven’t spoken or seen each other in years. Now they find themselves not only teaching at the same school (he’s a visiting professor at the university she’s teaching in) but also sharing an office.

Soon they’re working together for a gala, and all the close proximity forces them to remember why they became best friends in the first place; getting to know each other again, and learning how each has grown. Confronting the past, and moving forward together.

I really enjoyed this read! I love a good dual timeline, and this one was done really well. Not only did the past timeline add tension to the present, but they were also pretty nostalgic. Calling landlines, myspace, Limewire. The music? HE BURNS CDs FOR HER??! I mean!

But what I loved best were the not-so-little tender moments between Teddy and Clara in the present. Him finding out she still wears the pendant he gave years ago. Teddy not rushing to finish sentences for her because he knows she needs the space and silence to organize her thoughts. All the sweet nothings will make you feel all the feelings.

And of course, all the heart-clutching moments that made this a second chance romance in the first place. If you love that trope, you need to pick this one up!

Now, can we PLEASE get an epilogue? Lol. Thank you so much for the ARC!