A second chance romance and midlife crisis all at the same time!

I can certainly relate to Rachel’s job loss and the way it impacts her sense of identity, though not to how driven she is. I don’t know what fear it is that makes it so difficult for her to accept success and happiness. And her friendship with Nat seems at times supportive and toxic in equal measures.

Danny, on the other hand, seems so content and put together with his life. It makes you wonder how all of the communication issues they experienced as teens happened (though to be honest, a lot of that was on Rachel).

The reunion backdrop was weird, not really a reunion and more a charity event, at least until the after party. Though as someone who has never attended any of her high school reunions, I can’t really speak on what a realistic reunion would be like. And seriously, who asks someone to return an award because their circumstances JUST changed?

Anyway, the interactions between Rachel and Danny were fun, with all the high jinks and mishaps along the way. And I liked the flashbacks to their time in high school throughout the story. And the ending was solid.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration though NetGalley, on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Girl Most Likely To by Julie Tieu is a feel-good romance and a quick read! 💚

Blurb: Rachel Dang, once voted “Most Likely to Succeed” in high school, is funemployed for the first time. After years of doing everything her boss asked, it’s time to say yes to new opportunities. So when she gets invited to her twentieth high school reunion by none other than her former frenemy, Danny Phan, Rachel agrees despite their unresolved past.

As a teenager, Danny was seen as smart, but unfocused. Teachers often paired him with Rachel, hoping her work ethic would rub off on him. Though Danny and Rachel weren’t exactly friends, she had seen a different side of him, one that only existed online over intimate late-night AIM chats that never translated into real life. When they meet again, Rachel discovers their roles have reversed. Danny is thriving in his career while she’s the one flailing.

The reunion takes an unexpected turn when a simple errand takes them into town for a night of mishaps and misadventure where they run into a colorful cast of characters from their childhood. Rachel and Danny soon rediscover the feelings they once shared and must decide if this is only a quick trip down memory lane or a second chance for their happily ever after.

🌟🌟🌟

The Girl Most Likely To has such a cool premise!!! I enjoyed how it took place over one night and the fun antics that both Rachel and Danny get into. However, the writing was mediocre at best and it was hard for me to connect with the characters. I’m sure there is someone out there who would really enjoy the story! It just really wasn’t for me. 😊

Thank you to @avonbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read/review this ARC! 🤩📚

🏷️: #review #bookrecommendation #bookstagram

This was a good book as per usual with Julie Tieu's writing, the characters were well development and side characters also well developed

I received this arc via NetGalley. The beginning felt very slow but then it got better. I loved the whole concept of the quiet girl x popular guy. Reminds me of the old times lol. I LOVEEEEEEEE a good flashback as well. I thought both characters were very likable. But I felt like maybe there should’ve been more plot development.

I was disappointed in this one. I loved Circling Back To You by Julie Tieu and it made me really excited for this one. This one just fell flat for me. While I didn’t really have anything against the writing, it was so good. I just didn’t love or click with the characters and just found myself annoyed with everything that was happening. I think this was an enjoyable book, it just wasn’t for me and that’s okay!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel, I thought this was adorable and enjoyed how workaholic Rachel had to re-assess her life after being laid off and going to a high school reunion to see what could truly be important. I doubt anyone who is in high school actually knows what to truly focus on, especially with parental pressures and the world being what it was, so it feels so real for Rachel to be so thrown by how life has treated her. Danny felt like more than just the love interest and actually had thoughts and a life of his own. Super cute, well paced, and a good book to sink into - 4 stars.

thank you to Colored Pages blog tours and netgalley for the early copy! all opinions are my own!

and to think i didn't want to pick this book back up and when i finally did, i finished it in two days. i believe that sums it up 😂
FINALLY i read about a character who is rethinking her entire life and not just work. the nostalgic aspect was really nice and it reminded me of earlier and easy times. i really liked they were portrayed as teenagers and then you can see how much they've changed when being 38, and at the same time they're still the same person. i adored they gave each other time and space to understand what they did and what they want from life. also, the MCs journey was truly inspiring and it kinda gives hope for people who feel stuck with their lifes that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and even something so small as diving into a pool surrounded by your high school classmates can be challenging and life-changing.
it truly was so fast paced and well written, it didn't feel rushed even tho the story happens for almost an entire night. the most exciting and challenging night i've ever read lol. i sooo enjoyed it and i'm glad i finally gave it a chance 💜✨

Rachel is a 38-year-old woman who has been working for 10 years in a large media industry, but all her life's efforts quickly seem to lose meaning thanks to a mass layoff sent by a simple email. Maintaining an objective life with all her goals clear and preferably written down in her planner, Rachel's instinct is to find a new job and quickly ends up taking on the role of assistant to her best friend, where she discovers that her high school class is about to have a reunion. Which wouldn't mean so much to Rachel if it didn't bring her the opportunity to see her great love from her adolescence and also her former best friend: Danny Phan.

Rachel and Danny have a well-developed chemistry that arises from an online friendship where neither of them really knew who they were talking to. We quickly see how they are opposites but complement each other in the most important ways. Reading it motivates us to want to know where and how it all went wrong.

A well-written, engaging book that made me smile and giggle a LOT. A story for those who are afraid of living or who consider that they are living "wrongly". It is never too late to start believing in what you have to say, don't close yourself off to the world and it will open up to you.

Thanks to the publisher for this review copy, This one just wasn't the right fit for my mood reading at this time.

Really wanted to love this one but I ended up dnfing it almost halfway through. I liked that it felt a little like a John Hughes film but couldn't get passed how both characters avoided talking about their past. Every time they started talking about it they dodged it by going on some wild goose chase for something or getting sucked into some weird situation. It felt like I was going in circles and it just wasn't progressing like I wanted it to.

This was such a cute and unique second chance romance. I also loved that these characters were in their late thirties still figuring it out. I think some books make it seem like once you hit 30 you should know exactly what you want in life, and that’s just not the reality. This book showed it’s never too late to get what you want. This book also shows a lot of growth in our main character as she navigates a weird spot to be in during her life. I adored the flashbacks in this and the adventure these two go on together in the present on their high school reunion day.

I’m not sure why but I LOVE a reunion – in movies, in books, anytime! This one is about friends coming back together at their 20 year reunion. It flashes back between high school in the early 2000’s and present day. I loved all the references from my past 2000’s self – chat rooms, AIM, burned CDs…what a time to be alive! While I would say this is a second chance, friends to not friends(?) to lovers romance, I also think this story had a lot of coming of age type vibes, even though the characters were 38 in present day. It was interesting to see both characters growing up in first generation Asian American families, with very different upbringings. I think this had Danny possibly growing up a little too fast and not being able to enjoy childhood fully, and Rachel growing up a little naïve and sheltered, creating misunderstandings between the two of them. After going above and beyond for her job, Rachel gets laid off, and she feels lost and embarrassed since she was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” by her high school class. What was all that work for? Was it worth it? This one had romance, friendships, family drama, and finding yourself, even if it's not until 38!

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

This book had a great premise and the FMC was delightful in principle. I just could not find my rhythm with this read. I felt like there were so many great topics (folly of youth, racial stereotypes, societal expectations) that were touched on but never fully flushed out. I think the bare bones of the story was excellent but I kept finding myself wanting more on each topic the author hit.

I will probably still read another book from this author because it is clear that Tieu knows how to build a good story, but I wish she would have focused more on one theme as opposed to lightly touching on many.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager & NetGalley for this e-arc.


These adventures were enjoyable, in my opinion. This was a brief, entertaining book that explored some significant topics of self-reflection regarding your sense of self, personal development, and learning from your past. I thoroughly appreciated Rachel's search of self-discovery. The fact that they are given a second chance is great. It was really fun and cute. I enjoyed the characters and how their friendship developed.

A sweet romance with lots of nostalgia and second chances. Rachel was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" in high school and now returns to her reunion unemployed and ashamed. At the reunion, sparks fly when she connects with her high school crush, Danny. It was a fun plot and I enjoyed the second-chance aspect, as well as the journey of reconciling your past self with your present.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Immediately nostalgic—this book opens with AIM and had me flashing back to a/s/l days when I was around Rachel’s age. A Dragon Ball and Dashboard Confessional reference? I was all in. Told from one POV, it switches between the present and snapshots of the past, mostly unfolding over one night with a few chapters post-reunion.

Rachel Dang was the girl most likely to succeed in high school. At the start of the book, she loses her job, and while she tries to keep it together, she ends up feeling pretty lost and unsure of what comes next—understandably so. When her best friend from high school invites her to their 20-year reunion, things go sideways fast. A night full of awkward and unfortunate moments brings them face-to-face with unresolved history. They try to reconnect after years of silence, but even with their deep bond as teens, it felt rushed. Watching them struggle to break old patterns was frustrating at times. That said, the epilogue delivered a satisfying wrap-up.

Danny seems grounded, even if imperfect, and I appreciated his values. Rachel had her moments—both as a teen and adult—where she could be frustrating, but I really enjoyed the scenes with her family, which added warmth and heart.

As a millennial Asian, I saw myself in so many references, which made me hopeful. And while I didn’t fully connect with the story overall, there were still parts I enjoyed. This book also reminded me that I’m also 20 years out of high school. Maybe it’s time to plan a reunion of my own… minus the fundraising chaos. Grateful to NetGalley for the read!

Ok , I liked the premises of the book. Definitely enjoyed the self discovery journey the Rachel goes thru. The frenemies to lovers was very well done. And I love that they get to have a second chance . It was super enjoyable and cute.

3.5 stars rounded up. This was a cute, very millennial rom com. I liked the characters and the way their relationship developed. The high school parts were fun and felt realistic. It's a solid pick if you want to read something light and easy.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

This is my favorite read from Julie Tieu yet!

Rachel Dang has always been highly ambitious, achievement oriented, and passionate about building a successful (stable) career. When she finds herself unfortunately laid off she starts to wonder what to make of her life without work. What better place to start exploring opportunities than at her 20 year high school reunion?
Returning to her high school guaranteed encountering pieces of her formal self and facing one of the most important people in her past: Danny Phan. Rachel has to come to terms with the fact that she isn’t the same Rachel everyone expected her to be, and maybe she was wrong about who everyone else was, too. Even more importantly, will her and Danny be able to sort through their history and come out as friends? Lovers? Or continue as strangers?

I thought these adventures were very fun. This was a quick, enjoyable read that dug into some important areas of introspection about who you are, how you evolve, and growing from past experiences. I liked that we got to watch Danny and Rachel have accountability, express their hurts, and grow beyond them!!! I think that’s a very realistic part of any relationship - we can’t expect that people will never make mistakes or miscommunicate, rather we should expect that we will certainly need to learn how to grow and hear our loved ones’ experiences.

Rachel returns to her high school for the twentieth-year reunion. Back then she was passionate, she studied hard for her future and didn’t have much time for anything else. Until she met a boy online, who turned out to be the boy she tutored.

Danny has never been too open with her, and Rachel’s attitude to prevail over everything led to many misunderstandings in their senior year.

Now twenty years later, could they go back to being friends, clear the air and maybe explore what they were about to, as teenagers?

This book kept me hooked, read it in a day, I always kept wanting to know more about what had happened in 2003 and kept wanting to find out how the reunion developed.

I liked seeing how Danny had changed in twenty years, and how Rachel, still insecure and maybe a bit immature like she was back at 18, fought against every little fence she had create in her entire life.

Thank you, Julie Tieu, and NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.