I didn’t expect to relate to the main character Clara as much as I did. I received my Master’s Degree right after my Bachelor’s and taught during it. This book transported me back to being on campus teaching again. The back and forth of faculty, advisors, and tenured professors on campus, mixed with the college life was nostalgic for me. I enjoyed the setting very much.

I appreciated the small nods to growing up in the early 2000s and enjoyed the character details of Clara and Teddy. I resonated with a budding friendship that you always secretly want to be more, but life often gets in the way and things don’t always workout.

Overall, I’d give this book 3.5 stars! Although I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and it noted it was the unedited version, I did catch a few typos.

The book doesn’t get a full 4 or 5 stars from me because I felt it was a constant back and forth between Teddy and Clara but there wasn’t always an explanation why they weren’t going to be a couple or wouldn’t.

I got lost in the details of both of their journeys with Teddy being a year ahead and then not knowing at what point Clara was in her education in the flashbacks. I feel the book would have read better if it was told chronologically as opposed to the back and forth from present to past throughout the book.

I’d rather have seen the ups and downs as time progresses. Instead it read like the spark was kind of reigniting from the 2 of them in the present, only for it blow up again in the past and give you a sour feeling when you get to the next chapter in the present. Other than that I thought it was a light and easy read and liked it!

This is a delightfully fun second chance romance. I really enjoyed this story and our two main characters Clara and Teddy. I think the pacing was great and I liked the flashback chapters as well as I think they give great perspective to the current happenings in both MC's lives and what they were going through at the time. I am a sucker for a childhood friends to lovers rom-com and this one hits the spot.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ratings:
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Romance: 🌹🌹🌹🌹 4/5
Spice Quantity: 🚒 🚒 2/5
Spice Quality: 🔥🔥🔥 3/5

What to Expect:
✓ Childhood friends to lovers
✓ Second chance romance
✓ Single POV, two timelines
✓ Academia college setting
✓ Romance between two history-loving professors

Thoughts:
From a girl who loves second chance romance...You know that scene in Gilmore Girls right after Luke and Lorelai break up, and she goes to find Luke and tell him that she doesn’t want to miss out on their middle? Sometimes if a second chance spans too long of time, it can feel like that. And it lowkey breaks my heart! Like you missed your middle! That’s exactly what this felt like. It spans 17 years and just missing out on all that middle makes me kind of sad.

That being said, I did still really enjoy this book. The academia setting, fall vibes, second chance romance makes for a very cozy read. It felt pretty slow to start, especially the flashbacks establishing their past. So that’s kind of why I brought it down to 3.5 stars.

Overall though, I really loved Clara and Teddy. I thought it was a really sweet story and enjoyed it all the way through.

Rating: ★★★½ (3.5 stars)

Just finished my first Kristyn J. Miller book, "Given Our History"—a sweet academia, second-chance love story that will make you wish for a hottie history professor in college.

Clara has always been career-focused and driven. Home-schooled as a child, the eldest daughter of a middle-class family, and a history nerd, she never had many friends—until she met Teddy at summer camp. Even quieter than Clara, Teddy kept to himself, his books, and his CDs. They developed an unlikely long-distance friendship that blossomed into their first love.

Now, Clara is teaching history at a liberal arts college and applying for tenure, all part of her meticulously planned career path. What wasn't part of her plan was having Teddy—affectionately dubbed "Professor Hottison" by his students—come to her university as a visiting professor and share an office with her. Especially since they had a falling out ten years ago. Now, they must navigate sharing space, working together, and in the process, rediscovering their love for each other.

I really enjoyed seeing their story unfold in dual timelines, from their time at camp to their present-day adult lives and witnessing how their relationship evolved. Both main characters are stubborn and have communication issues, which led to their past problems. I loved seeing them rekindle their friendship and start doing small things for each other, leading up to finding love again. (No spoilers—this is a romance, after all, and we expect a happy ending!)

Finally, I really loved the nostalgia in this book—from the music and communicating via MySpace and home phone lines to the college town setting and spending days on campus. It was a truly joyful read and I am sure it will be a sweet, cozy book perfect for the fall season.

I am a self-admitted book worm, and I have been the majority of my life. Here lately, I gravitate towards suspenseful books. Ultimately, at my core, I am still a fan of romance. Because of this, I was very excited to read this book.

I tend to be hesitant to read books from a new author, because it sometimes takes me a while to get used to their particular writing style. This was not the case with this book. I liked that it was told in first person and that you got to see both their present and the history of their friendship/relationship.

For some reason, I didn’t expect to get as caught up in this book as I did. I truly could not put it down, and I’m a bit sad that I’m done reading it. I definitely recommend this book.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

A cute and cozy second chance romance with a whole lot of friends to lovers. I did enjoy the past and present chapters but sometimes the jumps from past to present weren’t seamless. & listen I’m all for a good miscommunication moment but Clara’s reasoning for her and Teddy not being together seemed silly. I did enjoy the academic setting of the book & location! The friends to lovers aspect was so precious. I did love the way they met and how they found a friend in each other. The millennial references were so real lol! Loved that!!

I was really excited for the premise of those book - it felt very cozy academic, and I love professor romances. This book was really enjoyable, but it felt a little flat for me. It felt really slow, and while I ended up liking the switching timelines, it took a lot to be invested in. I also was confused by a couple of the plot points with the MCs families, which took me out of it for a bit.

I did enjoy the college setting in MD, it felt very small town and this would make a great fall romance!

This one was super cute! I enjoyed the second chance romance. I also loved how we got flashback chapters. It added a lot of perspective to the relationship. The story moved quickly and had some really funny moments. I found myself rooting for the characters to get back together.

Loved this! The banter and chemistry was great and the plot was perfectly paced. Will recommend and add to our library!

This is a sweet romcom. I was hoping for a more “fall” season feeling, but it didn’t really give me that. I enjoyed the main characters. It’s a friends to lovers romcom and follows their story. The main characters are both academics. I enjoyed that side of the story. It’s a short and easy read. It would make a great book to read while traveling.

This was a great book. I connected with the characters. I felt engrossed with the plot. I would read another book by this author.

It took me a few tries to start this book and actually get to finishing it. It has a dual timeline and is a second chance romance which I usually really enjoy both of those. But this was just okay for me. I found myself liking the last chapters more than the present as they fell flat for me.
Loved the cozy vibes. Didn’t love it but didn’t hate it.
Thank you netgalley for the ARC of this book.

Assistant Professor Clara Fernsby is driven, dedicated, and she hasn’t let anything stand in her way—not even the love of her life. And it's paid off as she's landed a well-paid position at a private liberal arts college fresh out of grad school...and she’s up for tenure. When Theodore Harrison is brought on for the fall semester as a visiting scholar, it’s an unwelcome blast from Clara’s past. Now that he’s here, she’s reminded of their shared history of autumns spent at a sleepaway camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains; where she fell in love with him. That boy might’ve been her best friend, but the man teaching HIST-322 is a total stranger. Given their history, she knows there’s every chance he’s not interested. But history’s all down to interpretation, and this time around, she’s got no intentions of repeating it.

I almost always enjoy a woman in a STEM romance novel, and I enjoyed this one specifically! With main characters that you love and simultaneously want to grab around the arms and shake and a love encompassing over a decade of missed chances, readers will love Clara and Teddy's story! My only gripe is that this is a lot of miscommunication trope and stubbornness. But I enjoyed the glimpses into their past mixed with the present. And the academic setting is fun and makes for good banter and forced proximity.

**Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own.

“Sometimes people drift apart because the timing’s not right, but if they’re meant to be together, they find their way back to each other in the end."
•

former-best-friends and almost-lovers, Clara and Teddy haven’t spoken in almost a decade. but when they unexpectedly find themselves sharing an office as college professors, they reach an unspoken agreement to have an amicable working relationship. however, being around Teddy after so many years apart brings back all the happy and hurtful memories they shared together, including her regrets, and Clara has to decide if she’s going to let history repeat itself.

Given Our History is a sweet novel with heaps of potential. I just wish it had more palpable angst and tension. unfortunately, the romance never really had a grip on me and felt a little one-note. this is an instance where I genuinely believe having a second point of view would have significantly elevated the story. that being said, if you gravitate toward friends-to-loves, second chance romances, this is one you should consider!
•

this and that:
♡ 00s emo music
♡ academia
♡ book mail
♡ flashbacks
♡ forced proximity
♡ friends-to-lovers
♡ he’s obsessed
♡ light open-door spice
♡ playlists
♡ right person, wrong time
♡ second chances
♡ sleepaway camps
♡ trivia night
♡ workplace romance
•

triggers:
☞ life-altering accidents
•

notable quotes:
・We’d gone three whole years without speaking. But that day, the day I walked away and he chose not to follow—that was the day I finally realized that I’d lost him for good.

・ “Do you think it’s possible that you’re meant to meet someone?”

・“Sometimes people drift apart because the timing’s not right, but if they’re meant to be together, they find their way back to each other in the end.”

・“I’ll put on whatever song you like,” he says. “It doesn’t matter to me as long as I get to dance with you.”

・“I want to watch you come undone.”

・“You’re always there, Clara. In everything I do. You’ve always been it, for me. Tell me you don’t feel the same.”

・“love is the hard road. The person you’re meant to be with is whoever you choose to be with. And you’ll have to fight for it and make sacrifices for it every step of the way. You just have to choose someone who’s worth all that trouble, and then you have to keep on choosing them, every day.”

・“And what are you to me?”

・I know our own history is imperfect, but I’m glad it eventually led me back to you.
—

thank you to SMP Romance and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted early copy of Given Our History!

Not for me. It had so many things in it that I usually love in a story, but somehow it fell flat. Teddy was an incredibly flat character. Clara was infuriating. Bel and Izzy were the characters I was most curious about and they did not get much screen time. Overall, it was a super cute romance, just not for me.
More details to come closer to publication.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. My opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read an ARC of Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller.

Assistant Professor Clara is going about her days dutifully and responsibly performing her job and doing her best to care for her sister who is about to go to college, when her "say yes to everything so I can get tenure" attitude goes awry as she accidentally agrees to share an office with the one who got away. Enter Teddy, the tall and nerdy boy from her past, now a visiting lecturer, and sharing Clara's office, but it'll be totally fine...right?

This was a really great cozy romcom, so when you are in the mood, this is a great choice. If you're big on reading based on vibes, you can't go wrong putting this second chance romance set on a college campus on your Fall TBR.

Given our History was another great read! This story is perfect if you are a fan of the following tropes: second chance, and friends to lovers. What I especially liked was the fact that there were two timelines in the book; past and present. If done poorly then the story suffers. In this story, the switch between timelines was clear, well written and interesting. Teddy and Clara were relatable and likable. I sailed through the book in 2 days. It kept my interest and even had me looking for other books by Kristyn Miller when I was done. I would recommend this book!

The second I read the synopsis for this book I was all in. Second chance romance? Childhood best friends to lovers? And it all takes place in an academic setting? Yeah I’m all in. I devoured this in one sitting and never wanted it to end.

This books follows Teddy (a visiting professor at Clara’s university) and Clara (an assistant professor of history). It is told in various timelines bouncing between the present and the past. They meet as childhood friends at a camp for homeschooled teens and develop a friendship that tentatively turns into love before they fall out of touch. In the present, they are learning how to work together as colleagues and office partners while also coping with their shared history. It’s a slow burn but I loved every second of it. I’d highly recommend for people that like a slow burn where the spice is more minimal (which is right up my alley!)

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the e-ARC!
Clara is an introverted, socially awkward history adjunct professor. Teddy is her ex-best friend. They had a falling out 9 years ago and now he’s scheduled to be a visiting professor at her university. More than that, they must share an office! Awkward situations and an emotional roller coaster follows.
The book flips back and forth between the past and present, unraveling what led to this state of their relationship. Both were homeschooled and met at a summer camp when they were young. Their love of trivia and (honestly) lack of social interactions made them quick friends. As they grew up and emotions were mixed in, things got messy. Clara is practical and refuses to let anything stand in the way of her goals. Is this a horror story or serendipity?
First off, I thought this was a YA. It is decidedly NOT young adult. So, be prepared people. I truly loved the back and forth. Seeing the *history* between the main characters and piecing everything together as I read was just a real treat. I loved seeing the evolution. Clara was a bit too pragmatic, and it drove me up the wall. Teddy was adorable and a well fleshed out character. It was wonderful to see a male main character who was vulnerable and in touch with his emotions. The writing was well done, and the side characters were increasingly charming as you read on. I went from hating Clara’s sister to loving her.
There were a few points throughout that felt like they dragged on. I wanted to slap Clara more than once for getting in her own way. It took me a few weeks to read the first half of the book. I then rocketed through the last half in 2 days.
So, if you are patient and don’t mind a slow burn, this book could be just right for you! It’s witty and emotional, while still maintaining an overall light-hearted air to it. Quintessential rom/com.
I'm holding out hoping the author does a sequel with Izzy and Bel!

Professor Clara is trying to earn tenure when her department chair asks if she’ll share her office with a visiting professor, who turns out to be her past love, Teddy. They have to work out the complications of their past to fall in love. This story flashes back and forth between Clara and Teddy as teenagers and young adults to Clara and Teddy in present day.

This story took me a little to get into, but once I did, I looked forward to reading it every day. I loved all of the flashbacks to their time as teenagers in homeschool summer camp and the way that their friendship felt natural and real. It was an enjoyable read - especially perfect to read in the fall!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Kristyn J. Miller for the ARC!