The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. The cozy leaves, college campus, the word "history" lol. I was pumped when I realized it would focus on history professors. I majored in history and always dreamt of being a history professor one day (sadly didn't happen), but this book allowed me to dream a little bit about it.

This is my first time reading the author's work. I thought overall it was pretty good, a quick easy read. It isn't necessarily totally smutty, but it definitely is an open door romance with a few sex scenes that are a few pages long. I'm not into open door romances, so I just skimmed over those pages.

The dual timeline flowed nicely, although I liked the present day better. You first meet Clara and Teddy 3 years before the present, then the present, and then back and forth between present and 16-17 years prior. I'm not sure the beginning chapter made sense to me. It didn't seem like it was too connected or bought more "meat" to the rest of the story.

The main characters were likable enough, although Teddy wasn't that attractive to me haha. I wasn't super invested in their relationship. My favorite part of the story was the history aspects, and the cleverness of that is what kept me going. I love how the author made it such a big theme and part of their relationship.

Overall, I gave it 3.5 stars because it's a nice quick read that I would recommend for a romcom lover.

I finished this author’s debut in one day, and I did the same with GIVEN OUR HISTORY. There is so much to love about this book! Miller’s storytelling has an effortless kind of flow about it, and she navigates the dual timelines (to a sweet summer camp setting! childhood best friends? I die) with a level of expertise that reminds me of Emily Henry’s HAPPY PLACE.

The characters had my heart—even minor ones like Clara’s very extra ex-roommate and her Plath-loving little sister. As a geriatric emo kid, I was giggling and kicking my feet at all the references to bands like My Chemical Romance and Hawthorne Heights, and the mix CDs that little Teddy made for Clara. Combined with the summer camp flashbacks, this was just brimming with nostalgia for me. I also really loved Clara’s openness about needing to use a vibrator during their first spicy scene.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. It is a slow burn, second chance romance. I really loved how they first met at camp. A quick easy read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me. I really did try to like it, but it just fell flat in 6 areas:

1. Absolutely no chemistry between the FMC and MMC. It felt like they had no history at all, even through a friendship. They may as well have been strangers.
2. I’m not a fan of flashbacks, so the jumps to 16 years ago got a bit tedious.
3. Too much history with 90% of it being super boring. If you love history facts this may interest you, but most of it was nonsense or stuff I already knew.
4. Most of the side characters had bad attitudes, didn’t add to the story development, or were plain boring.
5. The first half of the book was just boring. I had to push myself to get through it.
5. The main characters were just flat. I felt like I didn’t get to know them. I almost had to reason to cheer for them.

I really wish I had liked this book. The cover is so pretty, I wish the story matched it.

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

I stopped at chapter 5 (13%). I really liked chapter 1 and was getting into the story, but then chapter 3 did a time hop 17 years back that got so “toy-brand-dumpy” and nostalgic in the frustrating let-it-go sort of way that appeals to a very specific subset of readers. Come chapter 4, I didn’t really care for either of the leads, and then chapter 5 was a timehop again. Not for me, but people longing for the “good old days” will have fun with it. Three to four stars for the target.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

3 stars- First off I love the cover of this book, and that's what grabbed my attention with wanting to read it. I was also excited to read this book because I love the second chance trope. This was a cute, fast read for me. I wish there was an epilogue for this book to tie up the story in the future at the end.

Given our History by Kristyn J Miller

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

I cannot express this enough. I really, really love this book. I have never read anything by Kristyn J Miller before but I’m an instant fan.

I love any books about academia - romance, fantasy, dark academia, thrillers, historical fiction - instant read. When this book was offered to me (I can’t believe I’m being OFFERED books!) it was an instant EFF YES.

This book has dual timelines. It starts with Clara and Teddy meeting at a camp for homeschooling kids and their relationship (or lack of) in present day. The timelines progress as they alternately grow up and how they gradually become friends (cough, cough) again.

Read this if you love romance with the following tropes: second chance, academia, friends first, and strong female leads.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC 💙

Clara and Teddy reunite a decade after a friendship fallout, with Teddy assuming the role of a visiting professor at Clara's college. The narrative gracefully shifts between the past, unraveling the evolution of their friendship, and the present, as they attempt to reignite the connection while navigating awkward remnants from the past.

While initially immersed in the book's charm, a shift occurred in the second half that led me to a loss of interest. Certain elements felt repetitive or prolonged, causing a sense of disconnect and impacting my overall enjoyment of the story. This affected my appreciation for the latter part of the narrative.

Additionally, the chemistry between Clara and Teddy lacked the spark I had anticipated, contributing to a less fulfilling portrayal of their relationship. I wasn't rooting for them to end up together.

Yes, yes, yes! Give me a college campus in fall any day! Miller got this one right. I loved the premise and the way the characters interacted with each other. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book! It was an easy read, with an interesting premise (history profs fall in love). The characters were likable and the dual timeline communicated the nuances of Teddy and Clara's relationship in a way that helped to drive the story forward. I will say that I wanted to feel more tension between Clara and Teddy in the present-day timeline.

Overall, I liked reading it and I'll give it 3.5/5 stars.

Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I adored Given Our History! This was a sweet friends-to-lovers spanning over several years with different points of their story sprinkled in along the overall plot. The romance between college professors set on a college campus, plus snippets from their time as childhood friends at summer camp, make Given Our History the perfect read for August/September. This book would be perfect for anyone looking for dual timeline, friends-to-lovers, and an academic setting with sweet characters. If you liked the movie, Love, Rosie (but minus the baby trope), this book would be a great fit for you!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed the journey from friends to lovers embarked upon by Clara and Teddy. The author skillfully portrayed their personalities, creating a delightful tension that kept me hooked. The dual timelines added depth and intrigue to the narrative, providing a unique and engaging reading experience. The author's writing style, as in their previous work, proved to be a compelling force, making me eager to devour everything they pen in the future. While the absence of dual points of view is a personal preference, it hardly detracts from the overall brilliance of the story. Having devoured two works by this author, I eagerly anticipate exploring more of their literary creations in the future.

Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller is a dual timeline story surrounding Clara and Teddy, in past a present day. The two meet as home-schooled kids who attend an annual camp, they grew up hours away from each other but keep in touch via phone and a long distance book club. In present day Clara is a professor of history vying for tenure who reunites with Teddy as a visiting scholar who she ends up sharing an office with.Through the chapters focusing on the past we over time learn the cause of the fallout between Clara and Teddy and see them rebuild their relationship in the present.

This book is a second change romance, with great character development and a delightful setting of fall on a college campus. Overall a quick and cozy read.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGally and the author for an eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Easy,light read. This is second chance romance. There is no angst ,drama or tension of any kind. Both characters are very mature . They regret loosing each other and decide to make it right this time around.

This is a super cozy read. I didn’t love the miscommunication and felt that could’ve been cleared up just by a conversation or two between the characters. The slow burn of former friends to lovers with a sprinkling of spice is perfect for those looking for a well rounded romance. Definitely recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my review.

thanks to St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review

teenage friends-to-lovers in the same vein as Love and Other Words, but they bond over history books instead and later work as history professors at a New England liberal arts college. thematically, I really enjoyed the light academia and fall vibes. as with many will-they-won't-they stories, it was rife with communication issues (some I will forgive due to age of characters at the time), but this one featured personal conflicts later in their adult lives that didn't have the appropriate character depth to condone. nonetheless, it was a quick read, told in alternating timelines, and featured a nerdy man with glasses.

✧ 3.5 stars

Cute story and I loved the idea of two professors falling for each other. The history angle will definitely appeal to history lovers. If you like dual timelines, you will love that this one bounces between the past and the present, so you get the full background on what ails our little lovebirds.

So cute!!
I read this in a day, which is so uncommon for me. I loved the characters and learning more about their backstory. I’m usually not a fan of dual timelines, but this book did them very well. I feel like I spent enough time in each timeline to understand them better.
Given both of them have an affinity for history and that’s what binds them together (literally and figuratively), it makes sense that the author decided to include more than one timeline.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Given Our History is a slow-slow building romance. You know that Clara and Teddy will end up together in the end. So it's more about the long-term friends to lovers relationship and how they ended up where they are.

Clara & Teddy were likeable MCS and well developed. so were most of the other characters. BUT it did feel like we were given more backstory than was needed during certain parts of the story,

It was a really cute book regardless and I would recommend you read it.

There is some detailed smut so if that's not your thing I would probably skip this book.

A heartwarming story about two parallel souls falling in love, growing apart, and finding their way back to one another. This book was set in alternating timelines of past and present, which I always love because we get to hear about the history of the main characters. Clara and Teddy were very likable characters and came to life on each page. I loved the chemistry between the two. I was rooting for them to get it right all along.

Overall, this was a great story that romance readers will enjoy!