Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for this eARC! Julie Tieu knows how to make you pull up a chair and sit down for a good one. I really loved the structure of most of the book happening in one night at the reunion. I relate to Rachel real hard because I am also very late in my mid life and have had careers pulled out from under me in a blink. This book felt the same way I feel when I'm watching a John Hughes Movie. Just very familiar and warm and comfortable and it makes me care about everyone involved so much. Just a really well rounded read!

Unfortunately, I just couldn’t love this one. The premise starts out promising - 20 year reunion, ready to rehash and reconnect. except they spend the whole time “reconnecting” with underhand comments and more miscommunication. Neither were willing to let go of their past grudges to actually listen to the person in front of them. Danny was so judgmental of Rachel at every single turn. It honestly felt like neither of them matured a bit in those twenty years.

I also didn’t quite understand why Rachel and Natalie’s communication issues was such a big part of the story. That subplot was pointless and felt like filler to me.

Moral of the story: Every issue could’ve been resolved if Danny and Rachel Wilde just stopped and actually talked to each other for more than 2 minutes. DNF at 61%

⭐️ This is an ARC review.

I tried to get into this book but ended up DNFing at 50%. I feel like I am missing so much important context and character development, and some of the dialogue doesn’t make any sense.

It’s bland and boring and I just don’t understand it. I really wanted to as the topic seemed cute.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book was made for my 18 year old self, and she's currently kicking and screaming after reading it. This story was everything to me. I related to so many aspects of this book: Danny's family situation, refugee immigrant parents, and Rachel's struggle.

The pacing between past and present was masterfully done. It felt like I was putting together the puzzle of Rachel and Danny's relationship, and the pieces came together as soon as they did, too. Super satisfying to read.

The tone of the book balances cheeky romcom with heartfelt and real so well. The entire book could be made into a movie with the amount of stellar scenes it had!

[arc review]
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Girl Most Likely To releases February 18, 2025

2.75

Twenty years ago, Rachel and Danny met for the first time in person (or so they thought), after four years of an online friendship that was cultivated through an AOL chat room.
Now, both 38-years-old, they are brought back into each other’s orbit courtesy of their high school reunion.

With a recent layoff, Rachel’s fun-employment isn’t looking too impressive next to her winning superlative of “most likely to succeed.” In fact, high school was the last place where Rachel even felt accomplished.

Rachel was a relatable character in the sense that it’s second nature to want to compare yourself and your achievements to that of your peers.
I know for myself at the age of 27, I have those same intrusive thoughts of feeling like I’m behind in life, so I can only imagine what it would be like to start over and how much more amplified those feelings would be ten years from now at the stage where Rachel was.

Though this is marketed as a second chance romance, I wouldn’t fully view it that way since it predominantly read like women’s fiction and was more so about reconciling a fractured friendship; anything more than that was unconvincing, especially with all of the snark and miscommunication that took place in the first two-thirds.

I was a bit caught off guard with the fact that most of their reunion was set outside of the high school, and in hindsight, the added drama of the car accident and cactus needles weren’t necessary.

While I liked the nostalgia that the AIM chats brought to the story, I think the pacing could’ve been better.

This book is all about reconnecting with who you were and second chances. Rachel was successful but suddenly finds herself without a job and no idea where life is going to take her. At her high school reunion, she meets Danny and they reconnect eventually culminating in a slow burn romance.
It was a very nostalgic book and I could definitely connect to Rachel - working in a job that she maybe doesn't love, unsure of things when they don't go to plan etc.

But the writing was something I couldn't vibe with exactly. The pacing definitely needs some work. The romance was almost non existent in parts and then suddenly flared up which made it hard to root for them
Overall, I would give it 3 or 3.25 Stars

This book follows Rachel Dang as she attends her 20th high school reunion. Rachael loves movies, and is working in Hollywood when the book starts; however, shortly after, she's laid off and this sends her spiraling as she tries to figure out what is next. When she finds the invitation to her 20th HS reunion she decides to attend as HS was the last time that she really felt like she knew what was next for her and she's hoping to find that spark again.

This book is about second chances, and reconnecting with who you are. There were parts of this that were cute but a lot of this fell pretty flat for me. There are pieces that just didn't make sense for me just from being about the same age as our main character; however, there were moments that I felt like I could strongly relate to: from the cringey thinking about who I was in high school, to the feeling of holy moly its been how long since high school and this is my life because 18 year old me would not believe this.

If you're wanting a read to help you reminisce about high school and who you were and where you are now, I think this is a great book for that.

The Girl Most Likely To
A Novel
by Julie Tieu


The Girl Most Likely To by Julie Tieu is a fun, nostalgic rom-com about second chances. Rachel Dang, once an overachieving student, finds herself unemployed and unsure of her future. When she attends her high school reunion, she reconnects with Danny Phan, her former frenemy and secret late-night AIM chat buddy. Over the course of one eventful night, they embark on a series of misadventures that force them to confront their past and rediscover their connection.
The book captures the humor and chaos of a reunion, with plenty of 2000s nostalgia and heartfelt moments. While the romance is slow-burning, the story focuses more on Rachel’s personal growth. Danny, however, could have been more developed. Still, the novel is a light and entertaining read, perfect for fans of rom-coms. If you enjoy stories about self-discovery, old friendships, and rekindled sparks, this is a great choice!
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

This was a highly relatable read and every mention of the Internet culture of the early 2000s had me feeling so much elder millennial nostalgia.

Rachel being my age had me immediately understanding a lot about her. I was drawn to her overachieving nature, the attachment to a job she didn’t love but was her saving grace in an uncertain postgrad period (graduating in a recession: do not recommend) and earned itself a loyalty from her it maybe didn’t deserve, the unmoored feeling of trying to decide what comes next. I could relate to her mini spirals when things didn’t go according to her plan and her tendency to lash out in response. The processing, acceptance, and pivoting she eventually finds her way through and to made this a hopeful and endearing read.

As for the romance part of the book, I enjoyed the connection between Rachel and Danny. There were glimpses of their teenage years, while occasionally taking me out of the story as the timeline jumped to the past, were important to their story. It gave more insight into their history and all the ways they struggled to communicate as teens. It gave them an opportunity to do better with their second chance. Danny did frustrate me at times because he still seemed to expect Rachel to read his mind. When they both got to a place where they could be direct and open with each other, it felt like they had a very solid future ahead of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun story that's really about Rachel growing as a person.

Rachel Dang has always been successful and focused, but she was recently laid off. Danny Pham was always slacking off in high school but is now successful in his career. Although they weren't friends at school, Rachel and Danny got to know one another over late-night AIM chats. For their high school reunion, they end up back together on an errand and they confront their long-buried feelings for one another.

First off, the majority of the book focuses on the night of the reunion and all the mishaps they encounter. That part of the story was very fun and I enjoyed seeing all the crazy shenanigans that happened. It felt very nostalgic for the 90s rom-com movies, very fitting with Rachel and Danny first getting to know one another in the late 90s. The short sections of flashbacks to their high school relationship was also great.

The flip side is the pacing for me. This book is more about Rachel learning to be a more well-rounded person and not just focusing on her need to have external validation through awards and accolades. The romance really takes a back seat and most of the book is Rachel getting stuck in the same behaviors she had in high school. I wish we got to see her growth a bit sooner and we could spend more time developing the relationship between Rachel and Danny. We don't really get to see Danny's growth at all and he's mostly two-dimensional and there to tell Rachel all the ways she's getting stuck in old habits. I'm really disappointed because I've enjoyed Julie Tieu's books in the past and I love seeing her interweave her own experiences into the characters and the story.

Overall, if you enjoy the comedy part of rom-coms the most, then this is a great choice for a fun read. This book would be a good option for a vacation or beach read.

A sweet second chance romance for two people who couldn’t quite get it together in high school, but just might have a chance at their high school (reunion)!

This was a fun adventure across town, slowly unraveling Rachel and Danny’s friendship that started online and fell apart by graduation as the two mingle with old classmates, navigate friendships and tough conversations, and uncover unresolved feelings that just might linger. Rachel’s ambition has driven her always, but with a recent layoff, she needs a bit of her old pal Danny’s calmness just to survive.

I could absolutely picture this as one of those fun Booksmart (but older) style movies, and had such fun picturing our fun cast of characters as high schoolers and then as adults!!

Thank you so much to Julie Tieu, Avon, and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Actually 3.25⭐️

Overall Girl Most Likely To was a cute read, I just had a few issues with the plot/certain characters that prevented me from rating it higher.

I felt that Danny, the MMC, was a little condescending at times, which led to me not being as invested in his and Rachel’s relationship.

Personally I would have preferred if the plot that took place in the present had taken place over a longer timeframe.

This is the first book I've read by Julie Tieu, but it certainly will not be the last. Rachel was a great, complex character who I related to and rooted for. And Danny was one of my favorite male leads I've read in a while.

I was intrigued by the high school reunion aspect but also unsure how I'd like it. I'm definitely not a school reunion person. But Tieu did such an excellent job building the tension between high school Rachel and Danny (the AIM messages!!) that I couldn't wait to see what happened at the reunion. While reading I felt like I was watching a TV show - it was so descriptive and compelling.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was that there wasn't a third act break-up, which would have felt off with this book. Instead, we get more of a third act "let's cool down."

Note: I ended up listening to this on audio and really enjoyed that format.

This book was so sweet but I just wished to connect with the characters more. I also feel more second chance lovers than enemies to lovers. Dual POV could’ve really helped this one too

Read if you love
🤍second chance romance
🤍75% of the entire book is only one day

[ARC review]
THE GIRL MOST LIKELY TO by Julie Tieu is a fun, kind of madcap throwback to the golden era of teen comedies.

Rachel has no job, no parter, no life to speak of. But when Danny, her former best friend (by way of AOL instant messenger) invites her to their high school reunion, she can't resist the opportunity to see him again. Then a simple errand turns into a whole night of zany adventures, along with some discoveries about their old relationship.

It was a ton of millennial nostalgia, staying up late to chat on AIM, the sound of a door slamming as someone logged off. Pander to me and my glory days!! (Although I am even a couple years older than these characters.) It was fun how it flipped back and forth between the present day and the past, during their senior year.

The third act is very mild, not even a real break up. Really jost lost of frothy, lighthearted fun, which I think we all could use right now.

THE GIRL MOST LIKELY TO is out February 18.

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#NetGalley #ARCreview #TheGirlMostLikelyTo

I felt this book to my core. The constant pressure to be perfect and the overachiever. I saw so much of myself in Rachel so she was incredibly relatable. The colorful cast in the book was so diverse and unique and I found them to be so precious. The second chance that Danny and Rachal get is set at their high school reunion when Rachal is feeling like an absolute failure after being let go from her job. Seeing Danny, who is successful in his career, initially reminded her of failures and the pressure she felt to be successful. I loved the premise of this book and the pacing of it to capture all the craziness of the one night of their reunion. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted eARC. All opinions are my own.

Instagram post will be live 12feb25

2.75⭐️ I really thought I’d love this one and relate to the MCs, but it just fell flat for me. It kind of gave typical 2000s movie vibes—à la Romy and Michele—where the whole book takes place in one night (the reunion night), and it was just a little too predictable for me.

Pair that with the fact that it was all just miscommunication and a second-chance romance, and honestly, it didn’t really stand a chance with me. I did empathize with Rachel and her drive to be the best of the best post-high school, but unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to fully pull me in.

“Why would I feel bad for you? All I ever wanted was for you to notice me.”

3.5 stars

This was a quick, fun read about a sorta second chance romance where Rachel and Daniel had a falling out right before they graduated high school and haven’t seen each other in 20 years. They meet again at the 20-year high school reunion and it’s basically a disaster lmao

“How did you put up with the melodrama?” I groaned, thinking about all the stupid stuff I complained about when we were teenagers.
“I didn’t put up with anything. I listened because it mattered to you.”

There are cactus spikes in butt cheeks, security interruptions, car crashes, and lots of running around and poor Rachel, who showed up 30 minutes early to the reunion, ends up late anyway after all that. But at least she was with Daniel during the running around.

“I guess we’re never too old to be young and dumb again.”

It was super refreshing to read about characters in their late thirties instead of early twenties, it was nice that they were older than me for once lmao

Also, I dunno why I was assuming no spice but there was spice! So, yes, that was great lmao

“You slept through most of our tutoring sessions.”
“I was listening. I liked the sound of your voice. I still do.”

The negatives: while I liked Daniel, I didn’t really like Rachel. She was childish, shallow, and mean (it was pointed out a lot, so it’s not like other people, and herself, weren’t aware) and it was super annoying. She did grow up, I guess, by the end, but her attitude was just really off-putting for like 70% of the book.

*Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC*

This was a pretty fun read, but it wasn't really anything special. I enjoyed the way the author really showed the past and present timeline, really showing how kids behaved in the early 2000's, but I just feel like there was no real conflict? A lot of Rachel's growth happened within essentially a single day, especially since 90% of the book takes place over a single day. I just wish the author had given us more about Danny because his character felt incredibly stagnant - he did all this growing from 2003 to present time, and then it's just him helping Rachel through her issues. This book would've shined more as a dual POV book instead of just a single POV one. While I really connected with high-school Rachel, present Rachel was also frustrating to deal with at times, and she still wasn't communicating well with her friends towards the end of the book.

Overall, if you're looking for a second-chance romance, it's a quick fun read.

This was such a fun premise! I really enjoyed the flashback scenes and laughed at some of the mishaps in the reunion. Unfortunately, the rest of the book didn’t really work for me. I was not connecting to the main character at all, and I didn’t really like her. It’s 20 years in between the flashbacks and present and I feel like she regressed in her maturity levels. The insta-love was a bit much for me too. It felt highly unrealistic considering it had been 20 years since they’d even talked. I really enjoyed the side characters though.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.