Unpopular opinion, but I wish this was either a single pov or added in snippets from Julia every now and then.

Overall this was a cute read.

there was a few things I didn’t like:
The competition over Juliet. I wish they would have talked to one another instead but I do understand they are teenagers so they aren’t as mature.
And I would have loved if there was more character development for the side characters.

I did love the ending, and despite the few things I didn’t like - I couldn’t put it down.

Overall, I would recommend.

Thank you for the arc!

What do you get when 3 queers walk into a cafeteria? This and more might be answered in this book. On the surface this is a cute Ya second chance romance. Under the surface the book inspires the reader to be themselves and not let other peoples judgement affect the way they act. Emma Caleb and Juliet are all great characters. Juliet was personally my favorite personality wise. I think the balance between the dual pov and flickered in flashbacks was done artfully. If you are looking for a cute read to get you out o feeling bad about yourself, or relationships around parent/chid relationships I would pick this up.

The quick cut: Two former best friends compete for the affection of the new girl at school.

A real review:
Thank you to Penguin Group for providing the arc for an honest review.

Friends come and go through life, but have you ever lost one on bad terms? For former best friends Caleb and Emma, that is very true after their falling out in middle school.

Caleb used to be best friends with Emma, but she's a consistent problem nowadays. When Caleb gets romantically interested in someone, Emma seemingly beats him there and wins their affection instead. He wishes she wasn't such a persistent presence in his life. Now they're both interested in the new girl at school named Juliet. To finally end their rivalry, they agree to compete for Juliet's love. Who will win?

This book was refreshingly cute, surprising, and enjoyable. I expected Juliet to play a bigger role than she did in the story, but was pleasantly surprised by the result! Caleb and Emma really are the heart of this story.

The chapters here feature alternating narrators in Caleb and Emma. In many ways, they are opposites that complement each other. That's definitely the reason why they fight so much (along with their childish parents).

Caleb is the kind of person who is type A in the way that he likes a clean organized environment and rules to be followed. He's on his own a lot, but gets along with his mother. His biggest wish is to have a real relationship with his father though. In many ways, it's his biggest blind spot.

Emma is a mess and has always been that way. She has a very negative relationship with her mother and really has never had a positive one with her at all. Honestly, I'm surprised that Emma is as strong and capable as she is. She's truly overcome so much to be where she's at. As impressive as that is, no one should have to endure that much emotional trauma.

Juliet at first comes off as flighty and slightly brainless, but she wins me over by the end. She's so much smarter than she appears and uses her appearance of being happy all the time to learn subtly about what's around her. Her role in the plot put a smile on my face (and made me wish she was my friend in real life!).

A cute romantic story with a twist.

My rating: 5 out of 5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I was a huge fan of Amanda’s debut and this one showed all of her talents yet again. A bisexual love triangle where 2 ex best friends realize they are actually made for each other. I love those types of stories! The characters are lovable and easy to sympathize with. I always enjoy how Amanda writes romance. This is definitely a sophomore novel you will not want to miss!

This book had so much representation in it which is a big pro in a YA romance. I like the idea of it but the execution took too long to get into. I found some of the dialogue to be a bit cheesey and I think YA readers would see that as well. The book was better toward the end but I don’t know if all readers want to stick around for it.

Thank you NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read an ARC of Exes & Foes!

This book managed to be super cute while still talking about really hard conversations about how parents’ actions have a wide reaching and lasting impact on kids.

Juliet is the new girl in town and Caleb and Emma have huge crushes on her. Instead of asking her out, they take the most logical approach - they make a competition for her hand. There’re only a couple of problems though 1) Caleb and Emma had a massive falling out years ago and 2) they don’t tell Juliet they like her.

I had a hard time getting into this book, because the idea of having a competition where the winner gets the girl made me more uncomfortable than I was expecting when I went in. But I loved Amanda Woody’s debut, so I pushed through. And I’m glad I did! It helped a lot that the inherent creepiness of the competition was addressed on page and that while they wanted to date her, they were also really interested in being her friend.

The characters were all vibrant and had distinct personalities, wants, and goals. And that made reading this a lot of fun. Unfortunately this does mean I have to fight a lot of their parents and former friends (unfortunately because I’m about as good at fighting as Caleb is).

Overall if you like queer stories about found family, friendship, and falling in love and you don’t mind it coming with a supersized serving of bawling your eyes out, you should check this out.

I was happy to discover this book didn't delve into toxic him versus her territory. It was actually a thoughtful, YA age appropriate examination of friendship and romance. Amanda Woody impressed me with her characterizations and present/past timeline.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Exes & Foes follows two ex best friends turned enemies. They both like the new girl and decide to hold a competition for her. However in the process, they spend more time together and old feelings resurface.

The synopsis of this book caught my attention as it sounded fun and entertaining with the premise of best friends fighting for the same person but falling in love with each other instead, so I decided to pick it up. At the beginning, I wasn’t really enjoying it. The first chapter was heavy on dialogue that felt weird and cringey. There were also scenes that were meant to show the characters were awkward but combined with the dialogue it felt repetitive. However, the dialogue and writing improved after that. There were still some parts where I felt the writing wasn’t great and the scenes felt out of place but it wasn’t common. As the story goes on, you get to know more about the characters and the two main characters are built up with great detail.

More than just a romance, this book also explores friendship. I really liked the friendships in this book. I loved the scenes where the friend group interacted with each other. Those were the best parts of the book. I also liked seeing how the relationship between the two main characters, Caleb and Emma, improved. I liked when they interacted because it was funny and entertaining while also serious at times. The peeks into the past friendship between Caleb and Emma were moments of enjoyment for me as it helped me understand their characters better. While the other friends are a part of the story, the book remains focused on the main characters, Caleb and Emma and their relationship. I wish there were more of the other friends in the book and I think they could have contributed more to the story. This book also does a good job of handling heavy topics of emotional abuse and family issues through the characters.

Overall, the book improved towards the end and proved to be entertaining. If like me, the synopsis piqued your interest, go ahead and give it a try!

Emma and Caleb used to be best friends, but when Emma ghosted him in 8th grade, they both found new friends. During their four years apart, Emma made a move on anyone Caleb was interested in. Every. Single. Time. Caleb likes to move slow, and has a type A personality, so he's not as confident as Emma. So when they both are interested in the new student at school, they decide to let Juliet pick who she's interested in: whoever Juliet kisses first gets to ask her out, but until then they both try to make friends with her. Somehow, Emma and Caleb usually end up both hanging out with Juliet at the same time, which puts a bit of a dent in their plan; however, it allows them to grow a little bit closer despite their complicated past.

I haven't read a YA romance in a bit, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel. Caleb is adorable and the storyline is super engaging. There were a couple of tougher topics covered in the book, and they were handled really well. I will definitely be suggesting this for teens who want romance with a little bit of angst.

This was such a precious story to read. I laughed, I got teary eyed and most importantly, I smiled throughout the entire story... Jas was definitely my favorite character.
Thank you netgalley, the publisher and author for my ebook arc!

I was immediately drawn into this book by the explosion of fisticuffs in the high school lunch line. I wouldn’t exactly say things went downhill after that, but they did sorta flatline. This book read very middle grade to me. If you removed the few references to blow jobs and the shower scene, it would be very middle school. The plot was predictable and the characters so “different” that they come across stereotypical.

But I did enjoy the latter half of the book where the emphasis on Juliet fades a bit (she’s not like other girls) and we can really focus on Emma and Caleb’s relationship, past and present. Their rough past seemed very relatable and I was so hoping they could get their acts together by the end.

As an adult reader I would like to also add that I appreciated Caleb’s mom’s presence in the book and the wisdom she passes on to the youths. (I said youths, I really am getting old.) Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc, as always opinions are my own.

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Viking Books for Young Readers, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy. You can pick up Exes & Foes on July 23, 2024.

I expected this to be a fun romp, and while it had several hilarious moments, Exes & Foes was also surprisingly tender and heartbreaking. Our main characters, Emma and Caleb, have several individual trials and tribulations to overcome, and I didn't expect their relationship to be filled with as much pain as there was love. I loved the flashbacks depicting their growing relationship as kids, and how those contrasted with the animosity between them in the present day. Both teens' growth was phenomenal, and by the end I wanted to cry tears of happiness for them. The found family was also incredibly sweet, and I loved how the five of them bonded over shared interests and identities and just pure love for one another.

If you're looking for a rivals to lovers romance, this def fits the bill! But more than anything, it feels like a second-chance friends to lovers connection between two broken souls trying to feel whole again. Don't hesitate to pick this one up!

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP/Viking Books and Netgalley for the eARC!

I didn’t realize how much this book would charm me the longer I read it—at the beginning, I thought it was only going to be a YA contemporary romcom about two exes competing to woo the new girl. However, it is truly a character study and relationship study. These teenagers sound like actual teens, I love the meaningful yet casual moments talking about queer sexuality and gender identity, and Caleb’s mom is the best.

Caleb and Emma’s character arc—both individually and together—is really beautiful and aching. Juliet, Alice, Jas, and Ms. Daniels also have their moments. I definitely cried quite a few times over the writing and the fact this book maybe hit a little too close to home.

The only thing I wasn’t too crazy about was the third-person memory scenes of “back then.” I think this could have been accomplished in first person or woven into the general narrative of the story.

Also: hooray for a MF bi4bi story. We need more of these.

This was a cute book about two friends who are arill in love with one another even after having not been friends for a few years. Instead of admitting their feelings and confronting each other about why they stopped being friends they decide to compete over the new person at school. I identified with both Caleb and Emma in regard to their familial issues. It was also nice to see that sometimes we don't always get the happy resolution with our parents. Sometimes we have to say our peace and set a boundary and let them know our worth. I look forward to reading more of Woody's work.

I really loved this book. As a teacher in high school I’m always looking for books to give to my students. This one is perfect for them.
It’s a lovely story about being good enough and being loved. As a plus I really liked the character development. A big plus for me!

Amanda Woody's "Exes & Foes" is a rollercoaster ride of emotions that hits all the right notes for fans of rivals-to-lovers tropes. From the first page, you’re sucked into the delicious tension between Emma and Caleb, two ex-best friends turned sworn enemies, each with their own vibrant quirks and undeniable chemistry. Woody masterfully balances humor and heart, making you laugh at Emma's chaotic antics one moment and feel for Caleb’s struggle to maintain his orderly world the next. The competition for Juliet’s affection is less about winning the girl and more about discovering the complexities of love and forgiveness. By the end, you'll be rooting for Emma and Caleb to not just mend their fractured relationship but to embrace the messy, beautiful possibility of something more. Perfect for fans of chaotic bisexuals and endearing grumps, "Exes & Foes" is a heartfelt, witty must-read that feels like a warm, comforting hug.

This was such a fun, emotional read! I saw myself in both of the main characters because of their internal voices telling them they aren't good enough and that was me thru all of school and early adulthood. This book is sooooo good at showing the different type of toxic relationships people can have and how to stand up for yourself and just being accepting of different people and their sexualitys. It's definitely a perfect young adult book with amazing lessons! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC!!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the eARC. 2.5 stars. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t my cup of tea. I initially liked the concept but it just didn’t sit right with how they were treating Juliet and how they would talk about her. I feel like it had so much potential but fell a little flat with the character development.

I really liked the cover and the concept (I do love a bisexual love triangle), but unfortunately after three weeks of trying to get into this book, I ultimately DNF at 22%. While what I read was well written, the voice wasn’t distinctive enough and the characters fell flat for me—I found them unlikable and couldn’t connect to any of them. Unfortunately, I need to be invested in at least one character to keep reading.

I also didn't like how Juliet was being treated like and object or prize instead of a person, but I suspect the book would've eventually addressed that and had the characters wise up about how that behavior was wrong.

While this wasn’t my cup of tea, readers who bond with the characters will probably enjoy this more than I did.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.