This book made me fall back in love with reading! I’m not exaggerating! It gave me all of the feelings I got when I first got back into reading after not having read for seven years. It has also made me crave YA romances more than ever because there is just something so special and beautiful about those romances!
This is probably my favorite hate to love stories! I love a good The Shop Around the Corner retelling, so I was already destined to love it, but then the chemistry between Wyn and Three was just so amazing! I wasn’t sure if they were going to kiss or kill each other at any moment and that was kind of beautiful!
I also just loved the characters so much! Three was just honestly adorable! Everything he said/did for Wyn after finding out about their conversations was just honestly adorable!
Wyn’s body image issues are something I can relate a lot too and I think they were so well done! I think I could have benefited from reading this book when I was 18.

Overall, go read my top book of 2024!

Wyn is the newest member of the university newspaper staff with big aspirations. Except it seems another new staff member (Three) is in her way. A rivalry quickly ensues to find the best stories to make themselves known. In the meantime, Wyn is also navigating a potential relationship with a campus dating app. And then there's the usual campus relationship stuff and such. This one had some good layers - I definitely didn't expect the investigative journalism to go so hard, but liked that as part of the story. I also liked the campus dating app communication as Wyn tried to figure out who it might be (and obviously as a reader you can see where it goes). This was a solid YA read all around. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this June 2024 release!

This was such a cute book! I loved the vibes, characters, plot, writing, everything! I adored the rivals to lovers between Wyn and Three and it hit so good!

This book was an absolute gem! The tension crackled on every page, and the chemistry between the characters was positively electric. It transported me back to the dynamic energy of Logan and Rory's interactions in the bustling newspaper office. The main character's relatable insecurities resonated deeply, offering a mirror for many girls and women navigating similar challenges in their own lives. The college setting provided a rich backdrop for not only character growth but also the development of authentic friendships. And let's not forget the incredible chemistry between the characters, which sizzled and sparkled throughout the story, keeping me thoroughly captivated from start to finish.

On the record, this book was great. Off the record, my patrons will love this book too. I cannot wait to see their opinions when it's published!

If Samantha Markum has a million fans, then I am one of them. If Samantha Markum has ten fans, then I am one of them. If Samantha Markum has only one fan, then that is me. If Samantha Markum has no fans, then I’m no longer living.

THIS BOOK! I don’t know how to convey how much I loved this book! I have been searching for the feelings I felt while reading back in 2022 (after rediscovering reading) and THIS gave me those feelings of absolute joy and like I couldn’t put the book down for even a second! I literally sat in my car in the rain while reading it because I didn’t want to go inside and be distracted.

I really need to read more YA romance, especially if it’s like this book! Do you want a book where the main characters threaten to strangle each other but really end up kissing? If so, READ THIS BOOK! The tension was honestly masterful. It made me laugh and feel giddy and it was just so amazing! Their tension was palpable that it was practically leaping off of the page. Hate to love has never been so sweet! I also love how that tension led to them feeling like two halves of a whole, rather than in other books where the relationship doesn’t feel like a payoff. Basically, their lovey dovey moments were just as good as their death stares at the beginning!

I need to rant about how much I love Three. He’s just like a puppy that was made mean by his former evil owners that I want to take care of and make a happy puppy! In Doe’s book, I kind of loved how they weren’t the couple because that felt too easy for both characters. They were too similar in the ways that wouldn’t have made them a terrible match. Which is why I LOVE that each of them did find their good match that balanced them out while also still giving them that challenge that each of them craves! And now Three gets to be adorable with Wyn in this book! There were so many times that something Three would do would have me swooning, awwwing, kicking my feet giddily, etc. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that Hayes reveal scene just because it broke my heart for him and how much he clearly already cared/loved Wyn!

Wyn is the book character that I wished I had read about my freshman year of college. Like Wyn, in retrospect, I think my lack of self-esteem would often push people away because I just couldn’t fathom how people would like me if I barely liked me. I loved watching the people in her life slowly work their way into her heart while she slowly started to let them in. I also loved the usage of mental health and therapy. I think if I had seen therapy normalized like this in media when I was 18, I would have been better off in life!

Samantha Markum’s writing is also so clever. Even with this being single POV, she does such a good job at conveying the actions and emotions of the other characters ( especially Three) without letting Wyn know what’s truly going on. It makes the book feel more like a movie that I’m experiencing from all of the characters rather than just Wyn. I also think that she does such a great job at adding layers to the characters that make them feel so real. For example, her lore about the relationship between Three and everyone from the other book. Like how in this book, (slight spoiler that I’ve decided is headcanon)” by him stating that he seems to have a thing for girls that hate him, he’s implying that he had a thing for Doe, who ended up being another person that chose Wells over him. But then she wrote him Wyn, who always wanted him first, she had just pretended not to.

Overall, this is the best book that I’ve read this year. It’s made me feel in a way that I have not experienced since the era of my life when I read Doe’s book two years ago. I’m rediscovering why I rediscovering reading and I can’t thank Samantha Markum enough for helping me with that!

(Side note: this review is very very long in part because of how much I loved this and in part because I saw my review for Doe’s book (which I keep referring to that way because of the SMP strike) and found it horrifyingly lackluster since it’s like a paragraph and doesn’t even mention my love for Wells or Three.)

This one was cute and had a lot of good chemistry between the characters. I really didn't like Three (what kind of name is this?) in the beginning. But their chemistry helps you feel a little more liking to him.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH I WANT TO CHOP MY OWN ARMS OFF.

A collage YA romance filled with hate chemistry, fighting as a love language, journalism + reporter shenanigans, and so much chemistry it practically burns itself off the page, I almost started crying multiple times while reading simply because my love was so all consuming. It has the perfect amount of snark, banter, and messiness while also being so earnest it it's depictions of insecurities surrounding friendship and self-image.

Also, personally, it was so special to read about a fat main character who is so incredibly kickass, but also deals with her own insecurities. She struggles with her self-image, yes, but she is never anything less what makes up the core of herself. She's intense, and beautifully so. And she, with everything that makes her, her, is romanced and wanted and it makes my heart kinda want to explode.

Samantha Markum truly is the queen of yearning. Her books feel like a hug in the best possible way.

Love, Off the Record by Samantha Markum is a captivating blend of rivalry, romance, and self-discovery that will leave readers utterly enchanted. Set within the competitive world of a university newspaper, the story follows Wyn and Three, two determined freshmen staffers, as they engage in a battle of wits and sabotage for a coveted reporter spot.

What sets this novel apart is its authentic portrayal of the struggles faced by its characters, particularly Wyn, who grapples with body image issues and the fear of rejection. Samantha handles these themes with sensitivity and insight, creating a protagonist who is both relatable and resilient.

The dynamic between Wyn and Three crackles with tension and chemistry, drawing readers into their complex relationship and keeping them hooked until the very end. As they navigate their feelings for each other amidst a backdrop of competition and secrets, readers will find themselves rooting for their love to triumph.

But Love, Off the Record is more than just a romance. It's also a captivating mystery that keeps readers guessing with its twists and turns. The introduction of an anonymous campus-wide dating app adds an intriguing layer to the story, leading to unexpected revelations that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

At its core, Love, Off the Record is a tale of acceptance, forgiveness, and the transformative power of love. With its engaging plot, well-drawn characters, and heartfelt message, Samantha Markum's novel is a must-read for anyone who enjoys contemporary romance with a touch of mystery.

This book was perfect. Filled with such emotion, absolute heartbreak at times and joy at others. It really captures that first year college experience of finding yourself and your people. I also enjoyed that it touched on body image and projecting onto others. These are real issues many youth and young adults struggle with and its great that it is showcased in this book. Thank you for the opportunity to preview this book, I can't wait to add it to my shelf!

Samantha Markum can actually do no wrong! Love, Off the Record was top tier YA. I loved Wyn and Three’s chemistry and how their stories played out! I didn’t think anything could top Wells or Graham but THREE!!! This book is a must read for a fun, swoony time.

This has everything to love about a Samantha Markum book: wit, humor, heart, friendship, romance. In her previous two novels, the friends there served as an existing support group - they already knew the heroine well and could be her foils, accomplices, or sounding boards as needed. But here, Markum takes a new approach, showing a character who is a little more unmoored socially find her footing, and what a feat it is to pull this off so seamlessly. I know that fat rep will mean a lot to young adults in bodies similar to Wyn’s, and the loneliness of freshman year of college will resonate with anybody who’s been through it.

Now, the romance. I think I’m a certified Samantha Markum Stan, and I’m happy to say that Three and Wyn are my favorite of her couples yet. The banter is perfect, the tenderness exceptional, and I found myself desperately wishing I could’ve had a heated rivalry/anonymous text relationship with a hot entitled coworker at that age. What I’m saying is I want to live in this book, and when you read it, you will too.

Usually when someone describes something as “it made me want to chew drywall” it’s typically taken as an insult and when I say that Love, Off The Record made me want to chew drywall I mean it in the best possible way. I was screaming and giggling and kicking my legs through this entire book and I am heartbroken that I will never get to read it for the first time again. When I read This May End Badly, I absolutely despised Three like this man absolutely sucks hated him. BUT… THIS MAN HAD ME STRAIGHT UP BLUSHING SO HARD. I loved the intense banter and the genuine Rivals to Lovers arc so much and I will be thinking about this book for the next 3000 years.