DNF at 65%. I wanted to love this one, but the miscommunication in it really took away from the story for me. It's a trope I try to avoid, but I understand that sometimes it's necessary. But, it felt as though the miscommunication/reason for their original break up was very minor. I did love the academic setting, and initially the story sucked me in. It did make me eager for fall.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kristyn J. Miller, and St. Martin’s Griffin for an ARC of Given Our History! All opinions are my own.

This book appealed to me on so many levels - history nerd, academia, second chance, friends to lovers - and it was a slam dunk success, imo. I loved the dual timeline showing Teddy and Clara’s relationship over fourteen years, and the combined romance and career worrying subplots. A hot history nerd who has been quietly loving from afar for years? Count me in for that!

POV: single first person

You can expect: history professors, academia, flashbacks, childhood friends to lovers, coworkers to lovers, second chance, forced proximity, “I have a vibrator in my purse just in case”

Rep: queer side character, Greek American MMC

Spice: 2/5

CW: parental injury and stroke (off page, not described in detail)

I thoroughly enjoyed the fall/small college town setting and the alternating past/present timelines depicting a lifelong friendship and a second chance romance. The writing is good, the plot and MCs are well developed and the tension and banter are great.
While there are communication issues between the two MCs, and those can sometimes be frustrating to read, they felt realistic and were handled in a mature manner.
I definitely recommend picking up 'Given Our History' when it releases at the end of this month!

In many ways, Given Our History is exactly the kind of book I like. A smart FMC, and long, slow-burn, second-chance romance, an academic setting. I did really enjoy the book, though I felt like there were a few gaps in the story that I kept waiting to get filled in. Regardless, I’d definitely recommend!

Given Our History was an entertaining book. It took me a little bit to understand how the story was being told (flashbacks of different time periods), and for a while, I was worried I had missed some part of the story. However, all I needed was a little more patience as my question was answered in the next chapter! I thought this method of storytelling worked well in this book, and I thought it was well done. I enjoy this author, and I'm looking forward to her work!

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Few books are more securely in my wheelhouse than this. This academic, second chance love story was a delights! I loved the dual timeline, the slow burn, and the East coast fall feel.

Given Our History is the first book I have read written by Kristyn J. Miller. An academic romance between assistant professor Clara Fernsby and semester visiting professor Theodore Harrison. However this is not there first meeting. They have a full past from ten years ago when they could have been called best friends. This is a case of adults meeting up with teenage feelings.

This story is warm, funny and well-written that has all the feels. It also has two likable characters who are adult now so they are ready for those feelings of the past if only brave enough to face them. A wonderful read, especially as it is school time again.

Dual timeline second chance contemporary male female romance. Fun well written book. I enjoyed both leads and their relationship.

• assistant prof clara, trying to make tenure, agrees to share her office with a visiting prof... who turns out to be her childhood best friend & ex-boyfriend teddy
• really loved the northeastern academic setting. it gave yale in the fall vibes, and i was so here for it
• the past timeline, while important to character motivations, made the story drag, and feel too long

I adored this one! Clara was such a compelling and affecting character! She was trying so hard to find her place in the world and figure out who she wanted to be. It was so easy to relate to her! Teddy was quiet and unassuming. I liked the way he supported Clara. This was dual timeline, and I enjoyed watching their story unfold in the past and the present. The way Clara and Teddy’s relationship evolved over the years was sweet but also heartbreaking. All the history between them lead to a delicious amount of tension. Their banter was perfectly timed. The slow burn aspect was well written and was resolved satisfyingly. I also loved the way Clara and Teddy discussed history and how it bound them together even when they weren’t together. At times the plot felt a little slower than necessary but it held my interest and kept me turning pages. The ending was so sweet and fitting, but it also left me wanting a few more pages to see how things worked out for Clara after the climax.

My millennial emo loving heart loved this book. Given Our History follows Clara and Teddy who meet as teenagers at a summer camp for homeschooled kids. As their friendship grows, they learn that sometimes you meet the right person at the wrong time. I loved the dual timelines, although at times the past felt a bit rushed.

I’ll be recommending this book to everyone I know! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

So I was not at all excited to read another second chance romance. I have read so many of them this year. I was even less excited to read a second chance romance where they met at summer camp. This has been THE summer of camp books and whew. It's a lot of camp.

However, I gave this my regular 5 chapters and fell right into their story. I needed to know what happened and why they didn't talk for so long. I wanted to know how it would all work out and what would change to make it work for both of them. It was worth the initial reluctance to get to that HEA.

4.5 ⭐️ I can’t express how happy I am that this book exists, so thank you Kristyn for creating such a wholesome book! As someone who studied history, Given Our History was a pleasure to read from start to finish. The characters - PERFECT. The writing - BEAUTIFUL. The vibes - STELLAR.

For fans of Emily Henry, read if you like:
♡ light academia
♡ best friends to lovers
♡ dual timelines
♡ second chance romance
♡ summer camp kids turned history professors
♡ men who smell like pencil shavings and earl grey tea


Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martins for this e-ARC.

A dual timeline romance, I enjoyed this. It was a fun quirky academic romance. The two main characters, Clara and Teddy, met as homeschoolers at summer camp 17 years ago. They were best friends until their adult life then they had a fall out and didn't speak for years.

They meet again at the college where Clara is a history professor and Teddy is coming in as a guest professor. It's a shock to Clara seeing him again after all these years. They end up being assigned an office together and from there things go both wonderful and haywire at the same time.

I loved the romance that bloomed. Sort of a second hand romance.

Thanks to NetGalley, Kristyn Miller and Griffin publishing for this arc e-verson in exchange for my opinion. The review above is mine alone.

This was a solid romance. It's friends to lovers, which isn't my favorite trope, but I still enjoyed this one. It kept my interest and I liked the love interest. I also liked that the author created sexual tension instead of just halfway through the book they are having sex every other scene. Boring. This is a perfect book for the fall because it is very academic centered. But you can also read it in winter as it ends around Christmas time 😉

Given Our History follows Clara who is a history professor who is up for tenure. Things are finally starting to look up in her career. But then Teddy shows up. Teddy and Clara used to be best friends. But they had a falling out. Teddy is a visiting professor for the semester. Clara has always had feelings for Teddy. Soon the two reconnect and realize they might have feelings for each other.

I was excited to read this one because one of my majors in college was history. But I didn’t love this. It was very predictable, kind of slow, and boring. This is the second book I have read by this author and I didn’t like the first one I read by her. So I don’t think this author is for me.

It felt like a history book in the way it was written. I'm not always a fan of friends to lovers and this book is why. There was just so much unnecessary drama between the two, and I'm not sure if it was the drama itself or how it was executed.

The FMC annoyed me a lot, and I'm all for a self-driven person and I understand having family impact your decisions but add how slow it felt and I was like okay nice story anyway....

Because I am a nerd I did like the tidbits or history

I liked it! It was a very heartwarming story, and the university setting was fantastic. I love stories about professors! But I didn't really connect with the characters, nor did I felt their chemistry. I was more invested in the storyline of their younger selves than the one in present day. It was still really well-written and engaging.

this story was unlike anything ive ever read!! my first from this author and will not be my last. wonderful story that tugged at your heart strings. likeable characters and great pacing! would recommend this one!!

While I enjoyed a previous book by Kristyn Miller, I struggled to connect with this one. I absolutely love her writing but I definitely have come to realize with this book and other books that the scholarly/educational plot is not my favorite.

I gave it 3.5 stars - I didn’t feel the love for the second chance romance (which is one of my favorite tropes) and I struggled with feeling the chemistry between the characters.

It’s definitely a me thing because when speaking with friends who read it, they loved it and spoke very highly.

However, huge thank you to St Martins Press and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.