In this “She’s All That” reminiscent story, good girl Sofia works with bad boy Holden to reshape her image in hopes of getting the attention of her CRUSH Mark. The story looks at growing up and learning to embrace who you are but also learning to take risks; how people can change over time; and that not everyone lives up to our expectations.

Fans of middle school drama with fun characters and awkward situations are sure to enjoy this read quite a bit.

Sofia is sick of being seen as the super nice, sweet girl and wishes she had more sass. Not only is she very small for her age, but her clothes are purchased by her grandmother (not a fashion guru). All of this combined make her desire to win over her crush's heart nearly impossible...especially since he's after a girl who screams power on the volleyball team. So, Sofia ends up seeking help from the 'bad boy' of the class, Holden, who agrees to help her change her image in exchange for letting him use her metamorphosis to gain more viewers on his social media. Since his divorced parents shove tons of money his way, he even happily agrees to flip the bill. While the visual changes in Sofia are undeniable and she's picking up some edgier skills, her underlining niceness is hard to mutate. And that will cause either defeat or victory...depending on what the true goal really is.

This book nods back to the first one in the series. So, it's a good idea to read that one first even though this second book concentrates on different main characters and takes on a life of its own.

Sofia is easy to connect with and will find sympathy with many young readers as she struggles to fit, what she considers, the ideal...especially with thoughts focused on her crush. It's fun to watch her attempts to change and easy to root for her every step of the way. She makes mistakes, but most are more than understandable and make her sympathetic. There's a lot for her to go through to find herself, and the steps to this discovery are ones that readers can follow in their own lives or surroundings. The confusion and tough decisions she faces as she learns how to see herself and others is something this age group often faces themselves.

Holden offers the right zest to Sofia's awkwardness. While he first appears put together, it becomes more and more clear that he has his own problems to deal with and that he's not really the jerk he portrays himself to be. His way of coping with the divorce of his parents and their over-flood of money to him is also one some readers will be able to identify with. And it's nicely and naturally handled. He's a character, who grows on the reader, and is also easy to root for by the end.

This is a fun and grabbing read, and while there is quite a bit of drama, which might have been shortened just a teeny bit, it's exactly what fans of relationship difficulties and social life steering are sure to enjoy. Those who enjoyed the first book are going to want to take a look at this one as well. I received an ARC and enjoyed the fun moments and good messaging.

3.5

a cute ya romcom to pass your time. I enjoyed this one. the characters were real. I was a bit annoyed at some resolutions and decisions but that might have more to do with me growing out than anything wrong with ya trope

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

What If You Fall for Me First? by G.F. Miller is a third person dual-POV Middle Grade romance. Sofia has a major crush on Mark, but she’s not really a cool girl. If anything, she has a fifth grader image despite being in the eighth grade. When Holden offers to give her a glow-up to help get Mark’s attention and get him the attention of a popular TikTokker, it seems like both of them will get what they want. But what if Holden falls for her instead?

One of the first things that caught my eye was the kind of Pygmalian approach while also playing into the very real stage of life when you don’t want anyone to view you as younger than you really are because then that means they think you’re a little kid. Sofia wears clothes bought for her by her grandma and while they sound cute, they definitely do make her seem young compared to her classmates. I totally bought her wanting to be a ‘fierce girl,’ the kind of girl who is cool and seems super mature and comfortable in her skin because who doesn’t want to be like that at 13-14? It’s very relatable.

There are mentions of kissing, but there are zero descriptions of the act itself. Holden is stated to kiss a girl at one point in the book, but the moment it starts, the book fades to black. There is also no mention of sexual acts at all or touching. While there is acknowledgement of drugs and alcohol existing in the world, they are not used by any of the characters, which felt accurate to real life because kids don’t live in a bubble. They know what vodka is, especially if their parents drink it sometimes. I found the book to be appropriate for the MG age category and to be a decent tool in teaching young readers that it’s OK to change your mind about someone you had originally wanted to date.

Holden and Sofia’s relationship is very cute. I loved how Holden fell for Sofia’s warmth and genuine kindness as well as her softer parts. He liked her long before she became a ‘fierce girl’ while it took her a bit longer, in part because one of her best friends dated Holden for a little bit and it didn’t end well. Holden and Sofia are friends first who change each other in positive ways and I hope they continue to do so.

Content warning for mentions of drugs and alcohol and depictions of abuse

I would recommend this to young readers who want to read a genre romance and as a gift to young readers to show them examples of healthy growth and romance as well as to show positive and negative homelife situations to help children identify them

I absolutely adore this book! It’s designed for young adults due to the delightful romance that unfolds between the characters.

The themes in the book are incredibly relatable to teenagers. The protagonist, Sophia, is a shy and deeply in love young woman who finds herself in a situation where her shyness prevents Mark, the object of her affection, from reciprocating her feelings. In desperation, Sophia seeks guidance from Holden, her popular classmate. Holden becomes Sophia’s mentor, helping her navigate her journey of self-discovery. Along the way, Holden undergoes a transformative transformation, discovering a new version of himself and a love that changes his life forever.


Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the ARC!

I found this to be such a cute young adult read! The writing definitely reflects the ability to be read by a younger audience and I love that the themes brought into the story are so relatable to teens today.

Sofia has been in love with Mark for years. After watching him at the school dance with another girl, she decides that she needs somewhat with an unbiased option to weigh in as to why he never looks her way.

The school player, Holden, seems like the perfect person to ask as he has plenty of dating experience and because of that she’d never be interested in him anyway.

Holden sets out to help her create a new and different image for herself like he has done with everyone around him. Along the way he begins to fall for who she truly is and starts to wonder if he should be encouraging her to be someone else & by the end of her transformation Sofia has to decide if Mark is still who she truly wants?

I loved the theme of identity in this book. Through the characters you see how easy it is to want to change who you are to better “fit” the needs of those around you, but learn with the characters how exhausting that is when you were made to be uniquely yourself :)

What If You Fall for Me First is a cute middle grade romance book about a painfully shy girl's quest to get her longtime crush, Mark, to notice her as girlfriend material. Like in the movies, Can't Buy Me Love or She's All That, Sofie enlists the help of a popular boy, Holden, to remake her image into what she thinks Mark wants. What happens after that is a journey of self discovery and a lesson in being true to oneself. Who ends up with the girl? I'm not telling, but there is a satisfying happily ever after that will have every reader cheering for this fun, squeaky clean book.

I received an advance reader copy for free. All opinions are my own..

Sofia has had a crush on Mark forever and asks Holden,an influencer, who’s considered a player to help her get Mark to like her. He agrees if she’ll help him with his videos. As the two hang out and help each other, Sofia thinks Holden is nice, and Holden is beginning to like Sofia. She doesn’t tell her friends because they’ll be shocked. Mark tells Holden he knows Sofia has been after him for a year. Holden says he’ll pay Mark if he’ll be nice to Sofia. Mark says yes. Sofia asks Mark to the dance, and Holden is actually jealous and asks someone else. When Sofia finds out that Holden has been paying Mark, she leaves the dance. What happens now? A great rom-com seeing Sofia stand up for herself while gaining confidence.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.