For some reason, I found the beginning to be very slow. Slow to the point where I had to set it aside for a while before binging the rest in one night. Second-chance romances are sort of touch-and-go sometimes, but I thought this one was well-written. I liked how we had flashes of how they first met and continued to grow up with their friendship tied in through the present.

The problem I had was with Teddy. I think I would have liked more of a declaration from him that he was here for her and that she was his priority, etc. I'm not sure why, but it felt like she was going through everything and dredging up memories herself and he was just there. It wasn't until the last quarter or so that he seemed to be pursuing her; otherwise, he was just a character she happened to have a history with.

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an E-ARC in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.*

I chose this book as my first ARC on NetGalley because it has a number of tropes I enjoy in a romance plus the cover was very charming. The book definitely did not disappoint and earned a solid 4.25 stars from me. Given Our History is a second chance romance that skips back and forth between the high school/college years of the main couple to present day when they are both college professors. Both were homeschooled and met at a homeschooler summer camp.

I appreciated that flashback parts of the book weren't too over the top dramatic, both in their lives and the reason they split. There are some famous books in this trope where the reason for the split include someone murdering their parent or sleeping with their brother. Some authors like to pile it on. This book's reason for the 9 year relationship hiatus were far less dramatic but still had that healthy dose of angst that the second-chance genre needs to deliver on.

The book was very smartly written. I liked all the characters a lot and the relationships between the main characters and their families and friends. I was really rooting for couple. Everything seemed very believable and no character drove me nuts. There were a few side plots but they didn't distract from the main story.

A few things were a little annoying and distracting - lots of musical references that I didn't understand or relate to plus a lot of the protagonist referencing a lot of things I had to look up on wikipedia to understand (stuff so archaic most non-history majors wouldn't get it). If I wasn't reading on my kindle where wikipedia was right there I would have been annoyed by it. Still, it does beat pop culture references in books imo. Finally, a fairly large part of the plot was <spoiler> planning a gala to raise money for scholarships which, when mentioned as an idea at a scholarship committee, made my eyes nearly pop out of my head. And then three people plan it in three weeks!! On a shoestring budget because they get businesses to donate everything!! I have helped plan many conferences, events etc to know all of this is completely absurd and if anyone were to mention this as an easy, last minute, fundraising idea they would be thrown out of whatever meeting they were attending. It turned out find and yes, brought the main couple together, </spoiler> but I had to suspend some major disbelief.

I will definitely read another book by this author!

ACADEMICS *clapping emoji* FALLING *clapping emoji* IN LOVE *clap clap clap clap*. What a tender, inviting, and engrossing romance from Kristyn J. Miller. I was swept away by the vibe of this one, and cannot wait until fall so I can give this a proper seasonal re-read.

As someone with a background in higher education, I’m a sucker for anything written in the setting of academia. This hit the spot! It’s also the first romance I’ve read that centers around homeschool. I had to keep reminding myself that the teens in these flashbacks weren’t public school kids, and that a lot of homeschoolers I know *would* be reading history books for fun in high school.

Dropped one star because there were a few places that felt a bit disjointed, and the spice actually took me out of the story a bit. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

i will not be rating or reviewing outside of netgalley as long as st. martin's press is still under boycott.

A solid four stars. I think Clara is the perfect character for a “Zillennial” to read and relate to. The writing is very good and I think the second chance aspect was done really well with the alternative timelines. I do wish we had been able to see more of their current day relationship and getting to know each other again. That did feel a bit rushed. Overall, an enjoyable and cute rom com with major fall vibes! A copy of this book provided to me by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet and gentle story of two history professors who fall in love as teens, drift apart as adults, and find their way back to each other years later, ready to revisit the questions of their youth and decide if they can learn from their history or not. The story deftly alternates between past and present, building a nostalgic friendship over summer camp games, a long-distance book club, and coveted visits during school breaks; and an adult relationship that has to balance career pressures and family responsibilities in more complicated ways. Both main characters are loving and kind, making them easy to root for as they struggle with relatable choices about if or how to let career ambitions take a back seat when a fuller, richer, more connected life is on offer. As a long-time academic, I enjoyed seeing Miller's fictional academy come to life, with its echoing lecture halls, book-filled offices, bustling student life, and worn balustrades, I also enjoyed the characters with whom Miller populates her world, from a Plath-loving younger sister to a quietly encouraging department chair. A refreshingly realistic--and still very romantic--love story, perfect for readers who enjoy reading about the kinds of relationships that take years to build, the ones that ebb and flow and aren't always perfect, but in the end, are the ones we most want to hold onto.

Cute, Lighthearted, ex-friends to lovers.

Flashbacks in books are sometimes hard for me especially if the characters are very young in flashbacks, however I think Kristyn did well with them for the most part. I did wish we had more development of Teddy & Clara’s relationship in the present however. Clara & Reagan’s relationship was lovable. Overall it’s a cute lighthearted read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for honest review!

3.5 rounded down.

For some reason, I found the beginning to be very slow. Slow to the point where I had to set it aside for a while before binging the rest in one night. Second-chance romances are sort of touch-and-go sometimes, but I thought this one was well-written. I liked how we had flashes of how they first met and continued to grow up with their friendship tied in through the present.

The problem I had was with Teddy. I think I would have liked more of a declaration from him that he was here for her and that she was his priority, etc. I'm not sure why, but it felt like she was going through everything and dredging up memories herself and he was just there. It wasn't until the last quarter or so that he seemed to be pursuing her; otherwise, he was just a character she happened to have a history with.

thank you Netgalley for the free arc

I was given a digital copy of this book as a bookseller in exchange for an honest review.

Given Our History was such a cute, lighthearted read. It follows Professor Clara Fernsby while she navigates getting tenure in spite of an estranged best friend-turned-colleague, Teddy Harrison. I thought their dynamic was cute, specifically seeing the gradation of their relationship from when they were at camp as young kids to work friends. I had trouble connecting with the main characters at times, specifically Clara. Raegan, her sister, also seemed like a somewhat lacking character and I wish there was even more to her other than “younger sister who makes comments about older sister’s relationships”. I loved Teddy and Clara’s friendship most of all, specifically when they begin sending mail to each other (the mixed CDs!!!) and felt most attached to the story then. The time jumps were perfectly executed, and it gave me a very Emily Henry-esque vibe! Clara’s relationship to her parents felt like such a heavy part of her trauma, especially regarding the ending, yet I felt like I was missing pieces surrounding her and her parents The end felt a smidge rushed, but I could see how it worked plotwise with Clara’s struggling feelings; I just wished that readers gained more insight to those thoughts earlier on. Otherwise, I thought this was a quick and enjoyable romcom that was a fabulous friends to lovers story!

Clara and Teddy are two gifted, home-schooled children who meet at camp. Their best friend connection grows as they attend each year until Teddy opts for early admission to college.

This is a good second chance, dual timeline, childhood friends-to-lovers story. It grabbed me from the beginning. I believed the homeschooling added interest and really enhanced their friendship. The chemistry between the two adults after not speaking for 9 years was tangible. 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin's Griffin for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was very fascinated by the details on home schooling provided in this book. Both MCs were homeschooled fr their reasons, and they met at a camp many homeschooled children attended. I've never questioned exactly how the homeschooling system works or how the upbringing of these students is different from the rest of us. I absolutely loved the insights it gave me in that perspective, showing the ups and downs Clara had to go through.

Not a fan of how the second half of the story progressed and I was kinda detached from the characters.

In support of the SMP boycott, I will be withholding my review of this title until SMP speaks out. If the boycott is resolved, I will update with a full review.

4.5 stars rounded down. This worked so well for me. It has two tropes I absolutely love! A dual timeline second chance romance and an academia setting.

I’ve read many of the dual timeline childhood friends to lovers. So many are summer romances and while I love those, I really enjoyed the different circumstances of this long distance friendship. Their progression and fallout felt really organic, as did their reunion.

I also enjoyed Clara’s relationship with her younger sister. A large age gap in siblings always fascinates me and I like that this book spends time on this relationship as well as the romance. I look forward to reading more of Kristyn’s work in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this book was very well done with a focus on the relationships we build throughout life. A very genuine romantic relationship is being built as the main plot. In addition to this romantic relationship, we get to see insight into how familial and platonic relationships evolve as we do. Honestly, that is what’s sold me to this book as a 5-star book.

Kristyn J. Miller could have told this story as just a romance and had extraneous characters to add some flair, but instead every character that has impact on Clara is given a depth that makes them feel more real to us. We see Clara build some relationships, and learn how much effort it can take to build and maintain this relationships. These are components that, I think, build a better story overall.

Fave quote:
“Falling in love was like falling asleep on a long drive: you let yourself get comfortable and then suddenly you wake up and you're already there. Falling out of love, in contrast, was like a car crash: you slam on the brakes, but you don't just stop, because the momentum is still there.”

Tropes:
Friends to lovers, second chance romance, first love

Definitely worth a read if you enjoy non-linear story plot, focus on relationships, seeing young love play out with adults.

I will go ahead and round up to four stars on this book. It was a cute read. It was a fast read. Most notably this was a very predictable story. It checked all the boxes of making a good romantic comedy, including interesting, engaging characters. If you wanted to cozy up under a blanket with a feel good story this might be the book for you
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review

I could not put this book down. I’m a sucker for a good second chance romance. This on delivered. I love the dual timelines. The only thing that kept me from giving this 5 starts was that I found Clara to be her own worst enemy and I wanted her just just tell Teddy how she felt and the reason that she didn’t was annoying to me. Overall I loved this!

Given Our History was such a cozy read and I really enjoyed it. Second chance romances are my go to and this book hit all the right spots. I also loved how nostalgic it made me feel. I do wish it were angstier.

This is definitely a slow burn friends to lovers romance. I think for the most part it was pretty obvious how it would end, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the journey. This is the perfect millennial cozy read.

I really liked that the book skipped around to different time periods so that we could really get to know the characters and why it took so long for them to finally get together. And any book that references to MySpace, My Chemical Romance and Sylvia Plath is right up my alley!

I think this is the perfect book to grab on a rainy day, grab a blanket and coffee and finish in one setting.

This was sweet! I liked the characters, I enjoyed the academia setting, and it was a solid story. It was a really easy read and I liked the way the book was structured - the alternating between past and present moved the story along well and gave a great insight into how everything tied together. I definitely want to read more from this author. Grateful to NetGalley for the ARC!