This book is not what I was expecting in a really good way.. most of the romance books that I read are fluffy and happy and take a step away from reality. This novel was reality if I’ve ever read one. It was done in a very well articulated way that made it cohesive and still had that romance feeling to it. I was rooting for Teddy and Clara since the beginning. The world building and storytelling was really good. The characters were all relevant. Surprisingly, I really liked this and I really enjoyed all the characters. I would recommend this to my friends for sure!

As a PhD student, I love reading any book set in academia Kristyn writes an accurate depiction of academia, and I related to the struggles of Clara trying to get tenure as a woman in a male dominated department. It was a delight to read about Clara and Teddy's past relationship and they find their way back to each other.

I Wanna thank St. Martins press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Ok so this book fell flat for me.. it started off so good and then I just got bored..? The main characters had poor chemistry and the male lead was so monotone it got me so mad I wanted to shake him every time he spoke. The gap in time was what lost me a bit at times because it’s a huge gap also.. the main characters barley shared any real moments with each other that I didn’t have the desire to even want to finish this book..

I love a second chance romance and this was perfect for what I needed. I read this is one sitting. I loved the childhood sweetheart vibes and the characters. It was fun to watch them reconnect. This was the perfect easy breezy rom com with some depth.

*second chance romance
*friends to lovers
*summer camp alum
*academia
*close proximity
*dual timeline

I wanted to like this one a lot more than I managed to -
*I found the story moved very slowly - like, I kept reading other books and had to keep picking this one up because I never felt compelled by what was happening to read further
*the flashbacks grew tedious
*none of the characters seemed knowable
*no risk here at all - the stakes are yawningly low

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to connect with this one.




Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the DRC

Thank you NetGalley and Kristyn J. miller for an early copy! Such a sweet second chance romance! I’m a sucker for a dual timeline and Teddy is my favorite kind of book boyfriend. The quiet, reserved, sweet intellectual type. This was such an enjoyable experience to navigate a 17 year friendship to a falling out to lovers all in an academic setting. The added bonus was all the millennial nostalgia for emo kid music 🖤🖤

First and foremost, I have to say that Given Our History should be a required read for any contemporary romance fans. It was very reminiscent of Emily Henry's style. The book alternates between the present timeline and the past of Clara and Teddy's relationship. We learn about the beginnings of their friendship at summer camp and the demise of their friendship later while they reconnect in real time.
Now, I am biased because this book takes place in Maryland, Clara is from Maryland, and she went to University of Maryland (though I will say the author mistakenly put that freshmen orientation is the first week of college when it's actually during the summer, but we'll pretend it was held during that week at the time the character went to college), SO I was really excited to read. All that being said, it did not disappoint one bit. The friends to lovers slow burn was perfect. It gave People We Meet On Vacation mixed with Every Summer After (minus the messy love triangle of Every Summer After). The characters made me smile and laugh and I just really, really liked them. Clara's relationship with her younger sister, Reagan, was fun to read because they are really only getting to become friends as adults. Teddy and Clara have fun inside jokes. What a treat to get a peek into these characters' lives.

I really enjoyed this read it was my first book by this author and I will be checking out any other books of hers!

“not sure what seventeen years of late fees might look like, but i’m prepared to face the consequences”

“and what are you to me”
…”the love of my life” …” we can start with that”

“te cool thing about best friends is that you get to decide who you think deserves the title”

“and i hope you know that i appreciate you more than i know how to articulate”

As a current doctoral level grad student in history, I was immediately drawn in by the description of this book. I had high expectations going into the book, but author Kristyn Miller exceeded them all. She did a phenomenial job portraying the world of academia through the story of Clara and Teddy.

Clara and Teddy have been friends for seventeen years, but due to a series of missed opportunities, they never became romantically involved, until Teddy ends up as a visiting professor at Clara's university.

I loved the way Miller used flashbacks to provide a look into the backstory of how Clara's relationship got to the present day. I felt myself growing even more connected to her as the storyline unfolded. The struggle for tenure is indeed, real.

The ending in particular, was especially satisfying. I only wish we had a little more of a look into Teddy's life, and an epilogue, but neither detracts from the beautiful story Miller has crafted.

I look forward to reading my next book by Kristyn Miller. I'm a new fan and absolutely love the small details she adds for fans of history.

10/10 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to enjoy an ARC copy of this book!

All opinions are my own.

4 stars!
As a history lover (and teacher) myself I was absolutely obsessed with the idea of a romance between two history professors!

This was my first Kristyn J Miller book, and you can consider me a fan now! Dual timelines can be so hit and miss, but I loved this one! Watching them become friends the first time in the past, then again in the present was such a special treat. I loved their chemistry and love for history and each other. I was rooting for them from the first page. I loved getting to know their history, it just made me love them and their second chance at love even more.

Read if you love:
Second Chance
Friends to Lovers
Academia

"Given Our History" intricately weaves the tale of Clara and Teddy, two lifelong best friends whose bond withstands the test of time and adversity. As they navigate the complexities of love and friendship, the novel delves into themes of familiarity, self-discovery, and the profound realization of never truly ceasing to love someone.

Kristyn J. Miller masterfully crafts characters who resonate deeply with readers, such as Clara, whose journey mirrors the struggles and triumphs of real-life introspection and growth. Through Clara's narrative, Miller captures the nuances of ambition, indecision, and familial dynamics, creating a character whose authenticity leaves an indelible mark on the reader's heart.

Teddy emerges as the epitome of steadfastness and devotion, his unwavering love for Clara serving as a beacon of hope and stability throughout the narrative. Miller's adept handling of their relationship, punctuated by poignant moments and heartfelt confessions, epitomizes the timeless allure of friends-to-lovers narratives done right. With its richly drawn characters, evocative dual timeline, and heartfelt exploration of love and friendship, "Given Our History" stands as a testament to Miller's storytelling prowess and is sure to captivate readers from beginning to end.

Ahhh I love this book! Given Our History is your classic friends to lovers meets second chance romance with an academic flair. It’s set mostly in the fall so it has my whole heart. Clara and Teddy met at camp (all those mid 00’s references were spot on) and the story alternates between past and present, giving us more depth to their friendship. I really loved it and can’t wait until it’s published so I can buy a copy with that gorgeous cover!

I received an advanced copy from netgalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

4.25 stars

Their love story is adorable and messy. It shows how life can derail a story and relationships. We never know how one choice can alter our paths entirely. I loved how the main character was a history professor. That she has always had a passion for history at a young age. I really enjoyed the past and present perspectives on their lives. It felt like I was watching a movie. I felt like the characters were well written and more realistic than sometimes presented in romance books.

I highly recommend it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⚪️ Alternating Timelines
⚪️ Childhood Friends
⚪️ Right Person, Wrong Time

Clara has always wanted to teach history and has never let anything get in her way, not even love. Naturally, the year she’s finally up for tenure is when Teddy, her ex best friend (and could’ve been love of her life), shows up as a visiting scholar that she must share an office with. They haven’t spoken in 10 years and are now working together on the same committees while revisiting their lifelong friendship and contemplating where it all went wrong. Is the timing finally right for the two homeschooled history nerds?

I seem to have a knack of always having an authors debut on my TBR and end up reading their second release first. I simply fell in love with Clara and Teddy from the very beginning. Clara’s insistence to prove herself and her abilities hit home for me, and I wanted to shake her every time she went about sabotaging herself for the sake of others. Teddy gave me warm butterflies the whole way through - he’s the kind of guy I would’ve wanted to notice me at a young age, and while I had my suspicions about him, he blew me out of the water by the end.

I also really enjoyed Clara’s relationship with her younger sister - it’s not perfect by any means, but it reminded me a lot of the dynamic between my sister and myself, and how I’d do anything to help her succeed and make the world less difficult for her.

Loved this story, and the present POV mixed in with past events, giving more depth to the story. I wasn’t thrilled with the hard stop ending, would have loved to see an epilogue but otherwise enjoyed this ARC (thank you Net Galley!). The growth during the story was supported by the fierce independence of Clara and I was happy to read how she recognized positive changes. Between her sister, Izzy, Teddy & Bel - it was supportive of a full picture of her. Julien seemed like a great coworker!

The main characters lacked chemistry, it's a weird situation where they seem pretty ideal in theory but I never really felt anything for them or like they felt anything for each other. I enjoyed the academic side of things much more, although the main characters struggles with being too professional in a work setting was weird and could be better contextualised. Also the tenure committees decision felt pretty fair? So it comes off a bit entitled and weird when she is so offended after she takes a swing at a fairly unusually early shot at tenure and it doesn't work out because she needs more experience - honestly, it sounds like she does.
Overall there's nothing really wrong with this, it's just aggressively mediocre and the relationship drama is a bit tedious

I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did! This was an entertaining read, with lovable characters and a sweet romance. So cute!!!

The longing of 16 years of history, the play on the title, the ways their lives were intertwined with each others ever since they met; this book left me aching when I was finished with it. Both Teddy and Clara left such impacts on each other's lives that everything they did and held dear to themselves had to do with each other. to see them love one another, then fall apart, meet again, let it fall to the wayside, then come back together again, for good, was a delicious pull and tug, with their years of their history between each other woven in between their nows. I've been put off by other long term (years and years, they keep interacting and meeting) second chance books but none have been so articulate and well strung out and put together as this.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

2.5 stars rounded up

This was mostly boring. I had a hard time connecting to anyone in the story. The two main characters showed very little emotion for people who had known and loved each other for close to twenty years. It was a mystery to me why they couldn't connect again. They were so bland. The character of Mindy might as well have not even been in the story - that was a missing plot line for sure. I liked the academic setting but that's about all I liked.