I loved this book more than I originally thought I would. It is so well written and i love all the storylines and relationships going on with everyone. I love how we get the backstory of Teddy and Clara’s relationship. Perfection.

The PERFECT fall romance!! I really enjoyed this novel and will definitely recommend to others! It was a beautifully written tender romance that will have you swooning

I'll be honest --- I did almost DNF this one but I am glad I persevered. I enjoyed the dual timeline and the friends to lovers aspects. I would have really liked to get Teddy's POV.
This book is good for readers who enjoy:
- Slow Burn
- Longing/tension/pining
- Dual timeline
- friends to lovers (with a long history)
- Academic setting

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this review copy.

Really enjoyed this one! Friends to lovers done very well. Clara and Teddy encapsulate what it feels like to find your person in friendship and realize that they’re your person in every way. The tension in finding them so young and with all the baggage of family and the life you see for yourself ahead of you was done beautifully.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc and the opportunity to find new authors to enjoy!

“This is far from the beginning of our story. But it’s also far from the end.”

Told in alternating timelines, then and now, we learn Teddy and Clara’s story.

It all started at homeschool summer camp, and now they’re working at the same university.

Will they be able to work through what happened in their past, to get a shot at happiness in the future?

This book took a bit to hook me, but once it did, I didn’t want to stop reading!

I nearly put this one down, because I found what seemed like two beginnings confusing: we first meet Clara bumping into her ex, Teddy, while she’s meeting a former professor to ask for a letter of recommendation. Fast forward six years to the present, where her boss Julien is encouraging her to apply for tenure at said job, despite her age, and then dropping a bombshell that a visiting professor is arriving and Clara will need to share her tiny office with him; of course, it’s Teddy. Then, we go back in time seventeen years to where she and Teddy first met, at a camp for homeschoolers bonded over a love of history at a young age and started a correspondence, with him sending her mix CDs, and her sending him popular history books

The novel, which moves back and forth in time (out of order) sets up their friendship, their common interests, family similarities, and meant-to-be-ness… and how Clara keeps getting in her own way. To each, they are the ones that got away, but Clara is determined to put work first and not set them up for a situation where either resents the other for their career choices. Subplots include trying to reconnect with another homeschool camp friend, Izzy; Clara’s mothering of her younger sister, Reagan; a fundraiser the history department is putting on (Teddy joins the subcommittee to force Clara to spend some time with him), and the preparation for the tenure application.

I found the writing solid, with some really great lines: the ongoing habit of quoting then misattributing was fun and clever but the characters were a little flat, so I didn’t feel invested. Once I got to the halfway point, I really wanted to know what their major falling out was, but it took a long time to get there. Love scenes felt more logistical than passionate, but that might be appropriate for two very sweet and nerdy academic types. Pair with The Do-Over by Suzanne Parker for another look at collegiate relationships, or The Make-up Test by Jenny L. Howe for a competitive tale about Ph. D. candidates.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #GivenOurHistory via #NetGalley courtesy of #StMartins.

DNF at 35%. I’ve tried this one a couple times and I think the story just feels unoriginal for me. Nothing is standing out to make it memorable or engaging.

Kristyn J. Miller is the queen of second-chance slow burns!

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC of this one. These are my honest thoughts!

Clara and Teddy were wrong time/right people from the moment they met when they were teenagers, yet life kept getting in the way. Clara and Teddy as adults are strangers, but they're both working at the same college and sharing an office. All of this time together forces some of their previously buried ghosts to the surface, where they have to face their past in order to have a future.

This is a dual-timeline story about best friends to lovers, but big family stuff happens that keeps them apart. Neither can commit fully to a relationship for various reasons, until one day, they look up and realize they aren't even friends anymore.

Although we never get Teddy's POV, I just *felt everything* from him... he wanted everything with Clara, but that wasn't an option.

Read if you love:
- Books set in academia
- History
- Little sisters who cause trouble
- Dual timeline
- Heartbreak a little bit at a time
- Slow burn
- Tension/pining/longing

This was cute in theory, but the chemistry wasn’t well established and the fights felt superficial and protracted. There wasn’t any tension. It was just a bit bland, unfortunately.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc!

I really struggle with this one because I felt it dragged. The 'past' chapters of Clara and Teddy felt weird and long and pulled me out of the story. I normally love second chance romances but I wasn't; feeling this one.

Clara and Teddy met while attending a camp for homeschooled kids. Both were somewhat introverted, but Teddy was awkward and kept to himself. After watching him a bit, Clara decided they needed to be friends. Clara, a history nerd, shared her interest with Teddy, loaning him some of her treasured books. Between their times at camp, they stayed in touch, sharing interesting bits of trivia and their thoughts on the latest books they were reading. Over time they became best friends. And as they grew, their feelings did as well until it was more than simple friendship. But Clara had her sites set on being a history professor. Not even her feelings for Teddy were going to stand in her way.

Now, ten years after they last saw each other, Clara is an associate professor working toward tenure. She's a bit thrown when she discovers the new visiting professor is none other than Teddy.

I loved so much about this book. The dual time let us watch their original relationship is what seemed like real time. Iconic pop culture references from the time helped bring back memories of high school times, falling back into teen age angst and unfamiliar feelings. Watching the development of their younger relationship, I couldn't help but wonder if they just might fall back into old habits and pick up where they left off. As Clara and Teddy work together on a school project old feelings are resurrected. Shades of the old relationship pop up. Their history means they can just be themselves with each other.

I liked the character development. Though, it was Teddy who seemed to have grown into himself more than Clara. He gained confidence, was more sure of himself. Clara was the one lacking self confidence this time. She clings to her dreams as if they were her security blanket. And even though I knew there was an HEA waiting, I couldn't help but wonder if she was going to run again.

Speaking as someone who loves to learn, I love a story in an academic setting. I found the dual time lines unusual and enjoyed watching the relationships - the younger one and the grown up one - develop side by side. The writing was witty and with the right mix of humor and sensitivity. This is the kind of book I'll keep on the shelf so I can go revisit my favorite parts when I need a feel good pick me up.

Kristyn Miller's "Given Our History" is a sweet, dual-timeline contemporary romance. Professor Clara Fernsby finds herself sharing an office with a visiting Professor. That professor turns out to be Teddy Hamilton, her long-ago best friend and first love who she met at homeschool camp as a teenager, Can they get past the awkward ending they had a decade prior and work together as colleagues? Can they even be friends?

"Given Our History" was a slow-build with a second half that far exceeded the first. The dual timeline added to the build-up and strengthened the characters through their backstories. While I wish the story had build a little more quickly, the ending was a great payoff.

4 stars! This book was perfectly sweet and swoon worthy fall read! While I’m normally not a fan of the second-chance trope and also despise miscommunication with a burning passion, I absolutely adored Clara and Teddy. I loved the past and present chapters, and getting to really see their relationship develop as they grew up.

I am normally not a big fan of enemies to lovers, but I think I can make an exception as they aren't quite enemies... more like she thought they were but he always held a candle for her. So, Clara and Teddy. It made me think of fall days and quiet study sessions in my university library. I liked getting their history... hehe... and learning how they were a case of right person, wrong time. This is a cozy romance with some academic vibes and an author I would be happy to read again.

I really enjoyed this!! I found their relationship believable and I was surprised that I enjoyed the dual timelines. It never felt like I was jumping from something super exciting to something super boring, so I was able to stay engaged no matter the timeline.

I also found that the younger ages she was writing actually felt like the characters were younger.

Some of the logistics of academic life were a bit spoon fed but I guess that’s fine!

This was such a sweet romance. Perfect for fall. The chapters alternate between past and present. After being friends growing up and losing touch they are back in each other's lives giving their relationship a second chance.

Thank you to netgalley for an arc.

I thought this was such a cute second-chance romance that is perfect for fall! It follows Clara and Teddy who have been childhood best friends for 17 years and you can feel that history while reading the book. I appreciated that there were past POVs in this book since those moments really helped build the story. I enjoyed the characters a lot and felt myself relating to Clara which helped me connect with the book even more. Overall, I thought this was really sweet and perfect for the fall time!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!

I knew this book was up my alley, but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did! I consumed this through both audiobook as well as reading and highly recommend both formats. The duel timelines helped flesh the story out and threw some twists and turns that made the story very satisfying. It felt slightly rushed at the end, which was surprising because it was a slow, slow, slow burn. I wanted to spend more time with Clara, especially in the time jump, but I finished this book loving it!

Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller is a fun rom com. I found it a bit hard to get into, but overall it was a solid book. The characters and their history made the book more interesting. Readers of this genre should enjoy this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Cozy up with this fall romance full of crisp autumn leaves, academic pursuits, and second chances.

✨ Book Review: GIVEN OUR HISTORY by Kristyn J. Miller ✨

🍁 Book Synopsis: Two history professors who had been childhood friends fine themselves in the same campus and sharing an office. They have to face their pasts and reassess their goals to see if they have a future as friends again or as more.

🍂 My Take: Loved the fall vibes and college campus setting. I had a hard time though with how this story was shared. It jumped from the past to the present, with the present timeline being relatively linear and the historic timeline of Clara and Teddy’s relationship jumping from key events in their childhood through college to present day. The format made it difficult for me to fully engage with the characters, plus it felt like the story was building to reveal some big secret as to why their relationship didn’t work in the past. That’s not quite the case though and it just left me wanting something more.

Read GIVEN OUR HISTORY for
🥰 Best friends to lovers
💞 Second-chance romance
📝 Lots of believable backstory
🍁 New England college campus setting

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)

😘 Thanks to @SMPRomance for the gifted electronic ARC. All opinions are mine alone.