How to Be the Best Third Wheel

Lara de la Cruz is excited to be back home and ready for her Senior year of High School and get all scoope from her three besties since she was away in the Philippines all summer. To her surprise she is shocked to discover that all three of her friends are in relationships. Carol, Jasmine, and Kiera have been busy over the summer. And it has
Lara feeling a certain way.
Lara’s long time frenemy, James has also become the third wheel in his friend group.
So why is he asking her to tutor him? He is so annoying, so why is she starting to notice how cute he is?
Lara must learn to accept that some change is inevitable, love is messy, and being the odd one out is sometimes where inner power is found.

This heartwarming story filled me with joy.
I loved these characters and how real they felt.
I laughed, cried, and just couldn't put this novel down.
The story felt real and sincere I enjoyed how the main character felt as I know alot of times in HS I felt this same way.
But they way Lara handles it with grace is amazing!
A well crafted, wonderful and heartwarming story filled with friends, family, and feels that left me walking on sunshine. But other times I wish I could grab a few of these characters and scream.... Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop.
I really enjoyed this story. It's a heart-felt romance which light and easy chemistry and just enough adventure to keep you intrigued without the drama being too forced
This is one heck of a cute read. I loved everything about it!

Wattpad Books and NetGalley,
Thank You for this eARC!
I will post to my platforms closer to pub day!

Okayyy so where do we even begin with this one!?
I guess we'll start with the starting itself, it was disastrous... I'm fully aware that what I'm initiating seems ominous but bare with me here. So yes, it didn't start out well. With certain very cringe scenes, stereotypical subplots, some highly questionable teachers, (the teacher legit said that she sensed sexual tension between two students????? and further kept pestering then about their relationship status?) a couple of almost (keyword) cheating accidents and countless betrayals, everything made me want to curl into myself like a hermit.

Now the blatant question arises, why did I continue reading? Was it because of the adorable grandma dynamics or perhaps the bickering between the protagonist and the love interest... No it was because I could relate to Lara's aspirations and hopes about her future, her career and the obvious worries that come with it. We see the characters struggling with the age old dilemma of choosing professions, and wondering when one slips out of childhood into adulthood or if they ever? Further we get to meet Lara's vulnerable side, the one where her anxiety spirals, her jealousy flares and her loneliness even in her own relationship, gains sympathy from me.

The ending was mostly the only redeeming bit about the plot because never have I read a more realistic and perfect ending for a YA novel, where the characters recognise their own flaws and choose sense above all and most importantly choose their future before anything else.

I'd like to say that even though, there are many many improvement opportunities, I'd still recommend it only because it's a roller coaster ride of emotions, we see genuine character improvement, a love that does make you coo at points and as I mentioned above the ending.
To conclude I want to tell you that in no way is this a bad attempt at a debut, it just belongs to someone with a different taste to savour this, infact I'd like to point out that the author is only nineteen so this is most definitely a great attempt perhaps just not for me but I'd still give her future works a try.

3.47/5✩

A big thanks to Wattpad Books & Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this book, which I voluntarily read & reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I read this book in a day. I couldn't put it down or be so good. The absolute accuracy of the third wheel is highly heart. As much as friends say things will be the same once they couple up. For the single one, it's NEVER the same. and to say something automatically means jealousy. Lara is was losing her friends to their boyfriend. They've already started to cancel things, their boyfriends are always invited to their events and she's doesn't know what to do about it. James her enemy is the other single one and she's wrangled into spending every day with him helping with math. I just loved this book and the ending was perfectly reflective of two people in grade 12, just starting z new life and relationship. Just great!

Thank you Netgalley and Wattpad Books for allowing me to read and review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is definitely geared towards the young adult audience and has all the elements of a fun and cute YA read. I did enjoy Lara's relationships with her friends and how hard it is to be that third wheel in a group of couples. I totally understand that feeling and I think many teenagers will get a kick out of how relatable Lara is and her story. Dealing with a beautiful cousin and annoyingly cute boy who you start to have a crush on makes for an interesting, fun, fluffy YA read I think 13-17 year olds will enjoy.

3.5 stars

*3.5 stars rounded down

This book pleasantly surprised me. I expected it to be entertaining at the very least, but I really liked it!
While I did think the characters were very “over the top teen,” I did think that they were relatable besides that. I liked Lara’s inner turmoil over knowing exactly what she wanted but not knowing if she could do it. There was some great development between the various friendships and relationships, but they did all start at ROCK BOTTOM. I was so surprised at how mature and healthy the ending of the book was since I rarely see anything like that in romance novels, but I liked it!
For the bad, it was really just that I thought it was cringy. Do I relate to James using Desmos instead of learning graph patterns? Hell yeah. But most of the other teen stuff was kind of weird. They were all so enthusiastic, but in a romcom way, not a passionate teen way. I also HATED the way everyone treated Lara. I understand that it was the point, but her friends were horrible in ditching her at every turn to be with their boyfriends, and I feel like while they were better later, nothing could make that up to me. The same was true for Lara’s family excluding her, but they didn’t even notice.
Overall, I really liked this! I’d recommend it to people who want a very quick, readable romcom with a lot of cringy yet funny characters. I personally relate to Carol with her violent tendencies.

I have never wanted to throw a book across the room before, but I seriously felt the urge while reading this one…which is bad because I was reading it as a digital galley on my iPad. The author delivers as promised with her warning on the first page that she cannot be held responsible for damage from face palms and book throwing. This story has all the angst of a kDrama. Just when you think it is done, you get pulled in again. I really hope there is a book two in the works.

Teenage years are hard, and much harder when you feel you are tackling them on your own. Lara comes back after spending the summer visiting her family in the Philippines.
When she comes back to start her last year of high school, she learns that her three best friends are now in relationships. This book follows Lara as she navigates a messy senior year that is turning out to be nothing like what she expected.
Besides a few cringe worthy moments, this was an enjoyable, easy, and cute read.

3.75 stars
How to be the Best Third Wheel is a cutesy rom-com. It was a quick read for me and I managed to finish it in a day. I loved the representation in this book; it had a very diverse cast which made me really happy. The humor in the book is also written really and there were moments where I burst out laughing. The main character, Lara was so relatable and kind of reminded me of myself back in high school.
Unfortunately though, the writing style used felt a little strange and kinda stilted. Some of the dialogue was a little unrealistic, especially for high schoolers. And also, the story kind of reminded me of early 2015 YA contemporaries with some of the plotlines. While the book does have some issues, I think it captures the uncertainty of deciding your future really well and as someone who is in the middle of that, it just hit home.

i really enjoyed getting to read this book early. it was so much fun and such a sweet little romance. it made me feel good and that's something i really enjoy in my books. a lovely escape!

Lara is coming back to school after a long holiday in the Philippines, unaware that her three best friends have secured boyfriends over the holidays. Life isn't easy for Lara — she's now the odd one out, often left with James, who she definitely doesn't have feelings for. Nope. Not at all.

I first read this book when it was up on Wattpad, and I'm happy to say that the quality of the manuscript has much improved since then. This book was such a fun read — I loved Lara and her struggles (she felt like such a real and relatable character) and I loved the ending. It was bittersweet but realistic, and added another layer of charm to this book.

Another aspect that I really enjoyed was the weaving of Filipino culture into the book. It wasn't at all forced and flowed so naturally; I was so intrigued by all the traditions and names (Lolo, Lola, etc) and their tight-knit community which is so different to my own.

Despite all these pros, there were a few cons in the book — some of the side characters were really similar to one another, so much so that if their names weren't mentioned I would have mistaken them for one another... however there was a large cast of characters so this wasn't a big issue, especially as the main focus was on Lara and James. The romance between them was believable and cute, but there was one thing that happened that I really didn't like and didn't think was necessary to the plot (which is a spoiler, so I'll be leaving it out of my review. Rest assured that it happens near the ending of the novel, and the ending saved that part of the book for me). I hate books that use that as a plot point, but I still decided to give this book 4 stars because of how much fun I had reading it. I read it all in one sitting and was on the verge of tears at the end. I also thought the pacing of this book was excellent.

Loridee De Villa has come so far as an author, and you can really see her own unique style when reading this. It's much more polished and effective than it used to be, and even though she remains in the constraints of the YA Genre (shorter sentences, fast pace, lots of dialogue and internal monologue) her style still shines through.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and I would definitely read another novel by Loridee.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for letting me review this book!
4 stars
Prepare yourself for a rollercoaster of emotions!
Honestly, I was intrigued by the cover and premise of the book and it seriously did not fail, at least for me. This was super cute YA rom-com following our mc Lara who becomes the third wheel of her friend group as they all decide to get into relationships as if not having one friend being in relationship is bad enough and having to third wheel in that relationship she has third wheel for her other two friends. UGH! I felt for our mc being the "third wheel" and it was perfectly described. The romance between Lara and James was a cute enemies to lovers but there were times where I wanted to pull my hair but that's what makes it good book, when I have the urge to scream or pull my hair.

What an emotional rollercoaster! An outstanding book and I'm out of words to appreciate the author and this wonderful book. I never expected the author to pick up a simple topic of teenage love, crush and friendships and plot them so well. Every character had the simplicity yet their importance wasn't diminished. The flow of writing was brilliant and every scene was so beautiful emoted. The depth of the writing was great and the humor wasn't overstuffed. I could relate to almost all the characters and their reactions in every chapter. Hats off to the author. A well deserved 5 star.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Lara spent the summer before senior year visiting family in the Philippines, and expected that nothing much would have changed when she returned. So it's a shock when her three best friends all have found boyfriends over the summer, and she's the third wheel - or more like the seventh wheel. And what makes it even worse is that the boyfriends are all friends with her arch nemesis, James, who is third wheeling too. Now that the two groups are mixed, Lara can't escape James, and the feeling she pushed aside when she was younger are coming back.

I was really surprised by this book. I was expecting it to be a decent contemporary, probably a little cringy in places, and though that did happen at times, I also couldn't put the book down once I started it. I really enjoyed all of the characters in the book. Lara was a little abrasive at times, but she was dealing with a lot of change, and she wanted to keep the status quo. However, it read like a real book, with real characters and scenarios. Okay, it was cringy at times, and a bit over the top at others, but all in all, it really suited the characters and the setting of it. The only real thing I disliked was the ending, though I think it was probably included to make the book feel more realistic, rather than fiction? I don't know, but it was a solid debut in any case.

After a summer spent in the Philippines with her family, Lara de la Cruz is eager to start her senior year and, most importantly, reunite with her three besties, Carol, Jasmine, and Kiera. Of course summer is the season of change, and Lara knew she’d have to get caught up on the major updates, hot gossip, and other shenanigans she may have missed. But what she did not expect was to show up on the first day of school to all three of her friends now in relationships.

Warning you are not going to want to step away from this book! It will go with you everywhere for the day. I would say that you should enjoy this lovely little story. Carol is a firecracker watch out for her! There's a couple of times you may cringe in your skin but that's high school (well for most of us anyway). All in all I liked the book and would rec.

3.5 ⭐

How to Be The Best Third Wheel is a friends to enemies to frenemies to lovers, YA romantic comedy.
It follows Lara, coming back from a 2 month vaycay to find that her three best friends have each found themselves in a relationship. Quite distraught by the news, Lara now has to handle being "alone", feeling left out and being the third wheel alongside childhood best friend - now enemy - James, who does everything to annoy her yet seems to be the only one there for her (even through all his torturing digs).

Let me just start off by saying the absolute pure torture of the frustration i felt while reading this! This was that typical YA high schoolers being oblivious for their actions towards their best friend. I highly sympathized with Lara, and i think that's why i found it so frustrating but yet...i couldn't put it down.

It did read like wattpad writing, quite amateurish but personally i liked that because it was easy to get through. there were some childish actions happening (for example gripping a guy by his shirt, and a character dropping down into a fetal position out of fear...). easily able to overlook those things when the story picked up.

when it came to Lara's friendships, i was quite happy with how that went. Did i want more groveling? Absolutely! but they pulled through in the end.
the second part of the story just created emotional havoc. i found myself heavily frustrated towards a guy i was rooting for. his reasoning for certain actions was absolute bullsh*t and so male typical that he just couldn't redeem himself to me fully.

classifying the ending...it's definitely a HFN. I'm satisfied with the ending but yet also sad because it's still two people who shared a childhood together and the endind just screamed FINAL.
It's a very realistic ending, romantics (like myself) may not like it but in reality it was just the perfect ending for those two...for now

*𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘢𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸*

'How to Be the Best Third Wheel' is honestly the best book I've read in a long while. I laughed out loud through 3/4 of the book, I was also sad at times but most of all I totally related to the main characters. Lara and James have known each other all their lives, first they were best friends, then enemies to lovers. The book shows how much we get attached to people, how much they mean to us and how really important are relationships betweem friends and family members. I loved the book for hilarious dialogues between Lara and James but also for the very real representation of teenagers' lives. The book focuses on how we make mistakes just because something stops us from proper communication, how we support our friends no matter what, how forgiveness works and how our family can understand us without words. I loved it for the ultimte warmth, wit and being true to life. I rarely give 5 stars out of 5, but this book deserves them all and more!

This book was pretty solid. It was amusing and pretty much nailed the whole third wheel thing. The only thing is that I'm a high schooler, so the high school parts felt a little less accurate. All that being said, this was a good read. Check it out, and thank you to Loridee De Villa and NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest and constructive review!

This book has quite literally started my healing process. I felt so seen by this book and i was shocked by all the commentary it had because I entered this book thinking it would be a fun quick cute romcom and boy was I wrong. A warning to everyone who picks up this book: it had me SOBBING in the middle of the night because the writing just hit me and I was relating to the characters so hard. I loved this book so much. I already want to have a physical copy to reread and annotate. 4.5 stars.

Thank you so much to Wattpad Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions stated are entirely my own. This book was so fun! It made me constantly laugh and swoon! I love how every character, even side ones, played a part in the book and had a big personality. If you are looking for an adorable and fun book with a great plot look no further! I couldn't put this book down!

LOVE! my first word when reading this book! it was such a cute book full of super swoony moments and LOTS of cute banter! the main character was so relatable and it was so fun reading and being able to put myself in her shoes. such a cute read and definitely one you’ve got to pick up when it comes out on may 3rd.

**I received a free arc through NetGallery and Wattpad Books for my honest review of this book**
Oh boy, this book ruined me in three days, and I am not okay. I plan to purchase and preorder as soon as I can because Loridee, you now can take all my money, I do not need it, as you now own me and my heart over this characters.
Now, when I requested this book through Netgallery, I expected just a cute highschool rom-com that I needed to make it through the miserable months of winter, because y'know, after the holidays are done, winter can rightly go away. I needed some of that serotonin to make it through this dreadful winter.
Now, that book is not what it gave me. Through 300+ pages of this brilliant book, I ended up weeping a little bit over my tablet as I was reading about Lara and her problems, and it honestly kept sewing me apart for maybe like a few paragraphs - but soon after, it ripped me apart again and I was upset again.
Now, I do say I was crying and upset over this book, and I am rightly so, but it was brilliant. I am so glad I was given the choice to read this book as an ARC, and cannot wait to read more from this author when she announces more books.
I truly enjoyed this book and so glad I was able to have the chance to read it. I cannot give you any spoilers or content because you're going to want to read this book without knowing anything more about it then the synopsis can give you. Give it a shot. You won't regret it.
You can say some of Lara and her friends attitudes were a bit childish, but you have to remind yourself that it is a YA book, and honestly, they're teenagers. I did some of the same thing these characters did in highschool. So, don't rate it lower because of those reasons. If you do, then you know YA books are not meant for you, and maybe you should read NA or Adult books instead? Just my opinion.

It sounds like a good read. I have seen that it fake from Wattpad and it’s great that Wattpad authors can get the chance to publish their books!
Then again I will say that it looks like an amazing read!

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!

This book earned a 4/5 from me. It was fairly juvenile writing, with unrealistic reactions and underdeveloped side characters with some scenes that could use reworking for clarity, but with that being said, I did truly enjoy this read. The way that Filipino culture and language was integrated was informative without messing with the pace, and I feel as though I learned a lot about their culture. James and Lara's relationship was trope-y and sweet, and the ending (which I won't spoil) was well-done and left me to think about what could come next for them. This book was a great pick-me-up!

This book...was great. A perfect, cheesy, romantic and anti-romantic simultaneously, young adult fiction book for young readers and anyone else who is interested in the cheesy romance genre.

This book is satirical, heavily trope-y, diverse, and in general a feel-good summer romance to read in three hours because you can't put it down. In some sections of this book, there was the usage of the language Tagalog, which I enjoyed thoroughly to have this represented in this book. I am not one who knows or uses Tagalog but felt much included with the translations at the end of each sentence.

The family dimensions and relationships stood out in this book as well, showing different dynamics with each family member and their relationship with each other and the people around them is inspirational.

This had many very poetic and hilarious quotes at the same time. Our narrator takes us along this story with her and acts as if we are their closest friends, sharing with us their internal thoughts and memories while we are enveloped in this story.

Our narrator was also able to connect with the readers, including many popular culture references and using colloquial language throughout the entire book—making this novel extremely accessible.

Although this book included many great facets to it, the novel also included some major problems that felt at times highly unrealistic. For example, the character's friends were beyond toxic and the main character was oblivious of it and forgave them almost instantly. This obliviousness also applies towards the end of the story, where the main character forgives a certain character extremely quickly in the span of about five pages. It would have been much more interesting if they had dragged that certain point a little longer to emphasize it and show some distance.

Some parts of this felt like middle school drama, which in a sense it was. Some parts felt like it came straight out of a soap opera yet re-enacted by high schoolers. Some of the characters felt much more immature than they should be at that age. Many moments felt highly unrealistic. Of course, this is respectable with a Young Adult romance novel, but it felt a bit excessive at times.

The ending also felt a bit rushed, trying to get to the point so it can be wrapped up. New characters were introduced far too late in the story and had arcs that went far too quickly. It would have been more enjoyable tenfold if it was spread out more. I wouldn't even mind more pages if it meant better character arcs.

This book had its ups and downs but was still undeniably good. It would be great for any cheesy romance lover.

All in all: good but still flawed.

I have so much to say about this book! It was the perfect snow day read. I loved the banter between everyone and could not read fast enough! I highly recommend this book!! You will not be disappointed.

This book perfectly captures what life is like for a teenage girl in high school. You think you have things all figured out- friends, enemies, and what the future looks like. Then, all of a sudden life has a way of flipping everything upside down.

After returning from summer vacation, Lara discovers all of her friends are in relationships. This revelation lands Lara on the outskirts of her social circle and forces her to find solace in her would be enemy, James. Can her relationships be mended, or will it lead her down a path she never expected?

If you are a fan of YA and obsessed over To All The Boys I’ve Loved and The Kissing Booth- you will love this sweet take on what it means to be the third wheel.

I loved that the author wrote this book when she was 18 because her proximity to high school made this book so relatable. It brought this almost 33 year old back to the days of feeling insecure about myself, friendships, lack of a love life, and where my future was heading.

I was also super excited to see the amount of diversity represented in this book. Not only were the main characters from various ethnic backgrounds, but so were the supporting ones. More people need to see themselves represented in books and especially YA.

I hope there is a sequel coming because I want to hear more from Lara and James! Fingers crossed this becomes a trilogy and gets picked up by Netflix!

Special thanks to NetGalley.com and Wattpad Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order this year and will recommend it to students.

This was a super sweet romance that gave me all the warm and fuzzy feelings. If you like friends-to-lovers, you would love this story as much as I did.

I loved How to Be the Best Third Wheel! It was a cute and quick read. This is a perfect novel for the rom-com fanatic!

This was a cute YA book about a girl who is trying to figure out a new normal when she comes back from break to find that all her friends have boyfriends. I thought this was a sweet book that made me smile. I would have LOVED this when I was in high school. I enjoyed the family relationships that were represented. The banter between Lara and James was so fun and I enjoyed the ride to see where their relationship would go. A cute, sweet, quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy.

A light hearted, diverse and funny YA story about what life is like for the average teenager. I'd recommend for lovers of quick reads and YA rom com fanatics.

Super quick and easy read for me. I really enjoyed this YA adult romance book. The author's writing style is good. Was a little skeptical about this book but so happy a read. Thank you for the advanced reader copy!

Great teen novel! I accidentally downloaded this book. I read because I downloaded it. This would be a great novel for high school students who feel left out when everyone has a relationship. It wasn’t preachy.

This book releases May 3

Reader’s Notes:

– there are 10 curse words

– there is innuendo

Review:

I removed a star because I did not enjoy the beginning on the story (it didn’t really flow in my opinion) and (if I read it correctly the two times I read the end) it appears that the main character does not get a romantic happily ever after like I expected.

However, once I got past a certain point in the beginning, I did enjoy most of the story! I liked the family dynamics, the pranks, and the friendship between the main character’s family and the family of the guy she is with in the book. I liked that both families hoped for Lara and James to date, despite them not getting along. I liked how the author took a different realistic approach on Lara and her friends’ relationship with each other and how they fixed it and made it strong again.

This story follows Lara who just returned from summer vacation away to find that her best friend’s all got themselves boyfriends while she was gone…and didn’t tell her. Unfortunately for her, those boyfriends are all friends with James, her childhood friend turned enemy. And then her mother signs her up to tutor James, making her time with him exponentially higher than she wanted it.

With Lara and James’s friends infatuated with their new relationships, they slowly neglect their friendships and both are left behind. As they spend more time together, Lara notices things about James that she hadn’t before. Could she be falling for the enemy?

Laura is starting her senior year of high school and looking forward to spending time with her best friends. When she gets back after being gone all summer she finds out all of them have secured boyfriends. Being the third wheel she is forced to spend time with her nemesis James, who she defiantly does not like. At all. Especially since they have known each other all their life.

I enjoyed the language diversity of including Tagalog with the translations behind it. The author could have easily included it in the beginning and then tapered off but I enjoyed seeing it. Made the relationships between the family members seem deeper.

The title, format and chapters were fun and creative spin on being a third wheel. It was a fun read — I loved Lara and her struggles (she felt like such a real and relatable character) and I loved the ending. It was bittersweet but realistic, and added another layer of charm to this book. The ending is what really sold this book for me.

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

This is the kind of book you can’t put down; you don’t want to put down not even for a second because it’s just that entertaining. I loved it from the very beginning to the very end. The characters were amusing, interesting and relatable. I felt everything for Lara and James, everything they went through, everything they were experiencing I felt like I was right there with them. This could absolutely be turned into a rom com, and I would be first in line to buy a ticket.

First this book takes place in Canada, something that doesn’t happen often enough from the books I’ve read. Not only that, but its main characters are Pacific Islanders (yes, I didn’t say Asians because they are Filipinos). That just gave it that much more of an extra boost in my eyes.

There are so many tropes throughout this book, but my favorite is enemy to lover’s trope. I love their hate hate, hate love, love love, love hate relationship that went on throughout the book between Lara and James. Their energy was contagious, when they were smiling, I felt myself smile. When they were crying, I felt myself crying. I get really attached to characters and great books and this was an amazing read. I can’t wait to tell people about it because it’s worth the read.

It’s quick, fun, emotional, and just relatable if you’ve ever been the third wheel or even the less beautiful family member. I’m sure some parts were predictable, but it was the getting there that made it that much more worthwhile. I love this book. High praise from me.

cute story about high school drama and relationships
we have a friends-to-enemies-to friends/lover kinda story
I love how the story started and you get to see how the characters were in the past throughout the story that reveals so much about them and their relationship
this story gives you all the feels
and the ending is just wow
a must-read
I was lucky enough to get this book as an ARC from Net Galley to read for an honest review.

How to be The Best Third Wheel was exactly the sweet, quirky, relatable, and unexpectedly bittersweet coming of age rom com that I didn't know I needed. It was super cute, and a very smooth and easy read. I definitely could have breezed through it were I not burdened by the mortal need for sleep, and the inevitable annoyance that is academics. Which is the perfect segue to talk about just how accurate the depiction of our generation, the struggle of balancing school with romance and friendships, as well as the stress of post secondary truly was. I felt that Lara's sense of humour and her manner of handling her loneliness really resonated with me. I had many notes that were no more than semi coherent gushing about how similar the two of us are, and that was really fun to see in a book where I didn't expect to find any similarities to myself and the MC.
The cast of characters was a pleasantly diverse one which is so disappointingly rare, so it was unfortunate that we saw so little of the side characters and didn't have the
chance to see much depth behind Lara or James' friends. In some cases, they felt like almost cartoonish attempts at comic relief, and while they were funny in some instances, I was hoping for more especially since so much of what drove Lara was the seeming loss of their friendship. For a story that did such a good job at making the emotions and motivations behind the two leads so raw, I'd have liked to see more of those characters and be invested in their scenes as well. That being said, I loved the inclusion of a male friend that was never once competition for the love interest. I enjoy the jealousy trope in most cases, but it’s refreshing to see a healthy friendship between a girl and a guy built on shared experiences, trust, and unwavering support. Xander was definitely a favourite of mine.
And as for the romance, I found that there was an impressively good balance between Lara's personal life and her tumultuous romance with her childhood friend turned “nemesis" James. I thought they had great chemistry and I throughly enjoyed their banter; my only complaints were that there was little explanation for why they hated each other, especially when they were once so close, and there were many jokes made about Lara's small chest, which I didn't appreciate as a small chested woman who’s been on the receiving end of such comments before. It doesn’t feel good, and it isn’t cute.
But, I couldn’t deny that the two were sweet together and I loved seeing how their relationship progressed and matured throughout the course of the story. The aforementioned bittersweet ending added a sense of realism while still remaining hopeful for the future, no matter where it may take them.

3.5/5⭐️

This book was an emotional roller coaster. When I first went into this book I was expecting a funny relatable rom com but OUCH. I did not expect PAIN to exist in this book. Break my heart ig 🥲. Also I loved the diversity.

At first I thought Lara was a bit to bitter about her friends relationships but later on I understood and to be honest I would’ve probably reacted the same way. She was way too relatable that I might’ve shed a few tears.

JAMES. JAMESON FIRGGIN BRYER. Marry me 💍. Although he isn’t perfect I still love him so much. His gift to Lara ☹️ *screams in single*

Anyway go read this book if you like:

➵ Highschool romance
➵ childhood best friends to enemies to frenemies to friends to lovers
➵ forced proximity
➵ funny banter
➵ big friend group
➵ a character that is so relatable to the point you will cry

This is a cute read. The teen angst especially during the high school years when the whole world is just the handful of people is well silicates by the author.

I loved it...

It was the best light-hearted at times, funny, honest, butterfly-giving rom-com thus far.

I enjoyed how not only did this novel contain various cultures, a childhood friends to enemies to lovers trope, but I also discussed topics of isolation from friend groups and family, the importance of self-assessment as well as coming to terms with the fact that not everyone knows what their life's future goals are and that's okay...All things that I can relate to.

This novel made me laugh, cry, feel all giddy, and most of all how the author narrates the main character, I felt seen, heard, and understood.

This novel is written in a way that seamlessly connects a tips/advice novel with beautiful storytelling. I loved this book so much and I feel that the author spent time developing each character. I only wish the main love interest would have developed slightly more in his journey to figuring out his passion.

All right fine, what is this novel about?

Lara the main character or should I say the third wheeler is faced with shocking news/reality when she returns to her friend group after 2 months of no communication whatsoever.

She is then forced to fight for her friendship, recognizing the fact that she is more deserving of love, communication, and a sense of honesty from her friends. Nonetheless, she finds herself in the pits of exclusion from her friends, and the only arms that she can find comfort in, are the arms of James, childhood best friend and all-time enemy.

What happens when they spend more time together? What happens when people get hurt/used? What happens when you find your passion?

So many questions that this novel answers. I relate so much to this novel. I appreciate the author and netgalley.

Thank you Netgalley and Author for allowing me to read this wonderful novel.

This book was a fun read. The writing is sometimes juvenile and there are a lot of instances where characters overreact. But at the end of the day, it is a book written by a teenager for teenagers. And teenagers are juvenile and dramatic and often blow things out of proportion. It involves a lot of misunderstandings, miscommunication, and insecurities. This book captures the inner thoughts of a teenage girl who feels left behind by her best friends. And she learns to cope. And sure she may be petty sometimes, but I was petty myself at 16 and 17. Heck, I'm even petty at 19 some days. And it's fine. No one should open this book expecting characters with a deep understanding of life. It's not meant to challenge any world views. It's a simple book meant for the reader to have a laugh. Not every book out there has to be groundbreaking and this one doesn't force itself to be.

This is a cute YA novel looking at friendship and finding ones place. The story is about Lara, who spent the summer before her final year of high school in the Philippines. She returns to find her three best friends are now in relationships and suddenly she is left trying to find her place. She is being harassed by her childhood nemisis. I did like the diversity of the characters. Though it could have been touched on some more. I have no doubt that the teenage me would have loved this book.
I had my thirteen-year-old daughter start reading the book, but she just couldn't get into it. All in all, a cute novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook of this title, received in exchange for an honest review.

How to Be the Best Third Wheel is about Lara who comes back from her summer vacation to find that her three best friends are in relationships. Ironically, all three boyfriends are the friends of her childhood friend turned enemy, James. Now she has to live with watching her friends' PDA and with James in her classes. To make matters worse, she is stuck tutoring the enemy.

Third wheeling was a very side plotline. Majority of the plot was Lara figuring out her own feelings and learning to deal with all friends being in relationships. It seemed very immature of Lara to be reacting the way she was when she was with her friends. I also feel like the whole 'her friends ditched her for their boyfriends" was very exaggerated as well.

Overall, it was very nice to see the dynamic between James and Lara. I loved the flirty enemies to lovers that they had going on. The 'everyone knows but them' was my absolute favorite. It seemed like everyone shipped the two.

✨𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖✨

Rating- 3.5⭐
Spice- 0🌶

This was a a really good read to get me out of my reading slump!

First of all this book was hilarious 😂 I loved Lara's inner monologues they were so relatable and funny. The diversity shown in the book was a great plus point and the family bonds were amazing! We all love a good family relationship 🤍

Also this book is a romantic comedy which is based on anti romance! I loved that!

Lara and James are so cute I loved them both sm! The fact that both of them are third wheels and then start spending time together which slowly leads to them falling in love is so adorable 😍 The third wheel scenes are ON POINT.

I liked and disliked the fact that they didn't end up together. It was not what I thought would be the end of the book but it was something which made sense. What I really didn't like was that it didn't have an epilogue, though the ending made sense and it was pretty good but that incomplete feeling of not having an epilogue was still there.

I remember reading this book on Wattpad the ending was different and I think I liked that better.

This book is definitely good but it does have flaws like any other book. I really didn't like Lara's friends. I think that was the point of the book to make us not like her friends as in the end they did apologize to her but I felt that she forgave them too quickly. Without making them properly understand what she actually felt, had it been shown that she prolonged her ignoring them or some rocky times in their friendships it would have felt a little more realistic. Also the kinda-cheating-but-not-exactly thing just... didn't sit right with me.

But all in all I really like this romantic, cheesy, funny, ya rom-com! Thank you for the ARC! <3

This book was too freaking cute! I loved lara as the main character I found her relatable and funny. Also, this book included one of my all-time favorite tropes childhood friends to enemies to lovers (kinda confusing but one of my favs). I also loved the diversity and honesty that this book contained. I loved how it showed some of the fun parts of senior year and what there is to look forward to but also some of the hard and confusing things. However, there were times when some of the side characters (friends and family) were annoying and I just wanted them to disappear. While I feel like this was part of the intent it was mildly troublesome. Overall I had such a fun time reading this and am so excited for others to be able to read this great story.
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED ON ZBESTBOOKS.BLOGSPOT.COM ON 27th APRIL.
Review also on Goodreads.

***

This was a very cute and comforting book that felt so relatable and at the same time let me escape my life. It had a great balance of characters and friendships, despite the cliche story. Sometimes I am just in the mood for a sweet story with funny characters and a charming romance. This is what I class as a 'dimples and nickname romance', and as much as it is predictable and everything: I love it!

The friendship group was very heartwarming, although not always the most believeable. There were some great moments and the Grandma, in this case 'Lola Nora', Lola meaning grandma in Tagalog, was just a fantastic character and I liked her a lot.

I felt a bit detached from the story in places but in others I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know more. It's one of those books that with a few edits, could be a real hit but wasn't quite there yet in my opinion. I think this was probably due to the pacing, which was a bit off at times. I did laugh though and I appreciated how light-hearted it was.

I did get a bit confused about which boy Lara's friends were each with which sometimes made the story hard to follow. The rest was easy though and felt a real comfort.

This also very much reminded me of Elizabeth Acevedo's books as it had a very similar culture vibe, with foreign people in the US. I love this, it is always so interesting and it was very well done here too.

The parts in Tagalog, although sometimes annoying because I couldn't understand them and had to skim over it and read the translation in brackets, were well-done and made the book more unique and different to anything I've read before. It emphasized the impact that being an immigrant has on the characters and makes it so much more plausible because I often get confused when books say that a character only speaks a certain language and then proceeds to make that character speak in English for the benefit of the readers. It just looses a bit of reality.

The diversity felt like it may have just been put into it to tick the box to me as two of Lara's friends were also immigrants, however, I guess this could be part of the reason they are friends and connected. This could have been explored more but it was still refreshing to read about and well expressed, positive diversity is always a plus!

There was plenty of girly drama which felt very real, quite scarily so! It really felt like the author knew what being a teenager is like and the kinds of things that go on.

Overall, a book I'm glad I've read and had a good time with but doubt I will return to, unless I'm in the mood for a cheesy romance I guess! I do recommend it though, as an easy and funny read that will maybe make your day a little better.

What happens when you come back from summer vacation to find that not one, not two, but all three of your best friends are in relationships? You try to find a way to be the best third wheel! Lara has to learn how to navigate the stress of senior year while trying to maintain her friendships and .... also figure out how to deal with a lifelong family friend who annoys the crap out of her yet who she also begins to see in a new light. This book has all the cringe and awkwardness that comes along with being a teenager as well as the fun (or not so fun) that comes first loves, relationships, and just growing up. This book was enjoyable and funny! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story in exchange for an honest review!

Lara spends her summer vacation in the Philippines with her family. She couldn't wait to come back home and hang out with her group of friends. On the first day of school, she is in a world of surprise. All of her friends have boyfriends. And what's even worse, they all start acting crazy. Lying to her, forgetting about plans and generally not treating her well.

James, her long time arch-nemesis, kind of forces her into tutoring him. And with her friends always busy, they kind of start to hang out. And the more time they spend together, less she hates him.

Living in a tight-knit family is never easy, there is always some drama going on and with the end of high school, there is a lot of decision to be made.

It is a story of growing up, finding your own place in the world and finding love in an unexpected place.

I loved reading the book. The writing is very addicting, I found myself scrolling through the pages till the very end. There is a lot of humour and pranks at the begging are hilarious. :) It's very relatable and so so engaging. While reading I felt like I was right there in the middle of the story.

One thing I didn't like was the ending. Not to be spoilery, but it felt like a cop-out, having a fight over something so silly, especially if they tried to rectify a similar situation at the beginning and actually made fun of it.


Thank you NetGalley & Wattpad Books for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I adored this very thoroughly. One thing I was not prepared for, was just how much this book was going to punch me in the feels. I don't know what Loridee was doing, but I was a little weepy the whole time. This book spoke to me on so many levels. Friends with slightly murderous intent, perfect canadianisms, hockey being the main sport, not having a clue what you want to do with your life. It just had such great messages about feeling awkward, finding the point to start sticking up for yourself because you know that what you're doing isn't serving you anymore, and that there will be time for your future and you don't need to rush to get there.

I loved this, and I'm happy it filled such a lovely craving I was having for something coming of age that was hardcoare relateable. I will be screaming from the roof tops about this one... sorry not sorry.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC! I loved this book! Everyone needs to read it. I highly recommend. I love the Filipino rep in this and I could relate to so many aspects of Lara's life. Flashback to all the Filipino parties I attended as a child 🥳 I love Lara and James' banter and they had such a playful love-hate relationship. Her relationship with her friends was so sweet to read about as well, even after how they ditched her for their boyfriends. There's so many great quotes from this book and the character growth is phenomenal. I love how Lara's story ends, even if it was not what I was expecting. I also think this is a great story to read if you're a teen struggling with the transition from high school to whatever you choose to do after. Great book! Go read it!

This was a cute, sweet, funny read. I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. I loved the fact that the author depicts the family well in this story as well as it's a diverse read. This book was very much enjoyable and gave me all the feels of first love.

I loved this book! It’s the perfectly cute romance, a slow burn and emotional. Lara returns from her summer holiday and finds her 3 best friends now have boyfriends. Worst part, they’re with her enemy’s best friends. Her greatest enemy, James. This is one of the best enemies to lovers I’ve ever read and would highly recommend. The book is so sweet, incredibly diverse and the plot twists are completely unexpected. Overall, it’s a perfect romantic comedy!

4/5 stars

The book was a quick read but it wasn’t one of my favorites. I liked the characters but I disliked the ending greatly.

Lara was a relatable teenager in her senior year; tired, excited, and terrified of life after highschool. I emphasized with her indecision with her future. And after her friends started pulling away after getting boyfriends she felt wildly alone. I was nervous about how the friendship would be handled because her friends were horrible to her, but I thought it was handled well enough.

James… I like him well enough. He wasn’t one of my favorite love interests but he did like Lara and I did enjoy their relationship. I thought it was cute and they really did like each other.

My least favorite part of this book was the ending. I understand why it ended the way it did but I was disappointed, especially when there was no epilogue.

Overall, I like the story but it wasn’t one of my favorites.

Wow I really enjoyed this book. At first I was unsure of how I felt about Lara, but I loved how she developed and her worries about the future and figuring out who she wanted to be were so relatable. The romance was amazing and the evolution of Lara's friendships made me so invested. Overall awesome book!

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the Digital Advanced Copy!

This YA book is something I'm glad I read. It had the normal teenage drama and all. Presently, I could relate to it. My two college friends got boyfriends and I have been feeling like the third wheel so I wanted to read this book immediately I saw the title. The only difference is that this book has some cringey scenes. It's a great YA book tho especially if you've been feeling like a third wheel lol.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!

The cover drew me in, and reading the book description made me want to request and read it right away! Lara spent her summer in the Philippines and went back to see her friends in a relationship without her knowledge, thus becoming the ultimate thirdwheel, or perhaps the seventh wheel.

Lara was quirky and full of personality. I like how relatable a character she is. The Filipino representation was top-notch! As a Filipino myself, I was happy to see my culture represented well. The dialogues that were written in Tagalog were well written. They were not cringy or trying too hard. The Filipino family dynamic was awesome! It's relatable and so much fun to read, especially the Lola-Apo relationship. However, with the exception of the villainous causin

Lara's friends are mixed personalities too, which I liked, but it is so cliche when they end up with James' friends. James is kind of relatable too, but to be frank, he didn't stand out. He's just like the typical and cliché male lead, except for his banter with Lara. The realities of young adult problems were accurately depicted, especially those about pursuing a program, the friendship struggles—believe me, I couldn't count how many times I said "so relatable" while reading those—the family relationship and more.

Also, I like how this story ends. However, I wish it lengthened more to see how each character moves on with their lives rather than end just like that. Nevertheless, I absolutely like this YA romance and would give it four stars.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for this ARC.

Such a great relatable book on high school eras and all the turmoil, heartache, changes, etc that go with it! I really enjoyed this one!

"We grow up among married people, single people, friends, enemies, and family. There are so many people around us that it can’t be helped to be a third wheel, to feel out of place sometimes. Yet there are people out there who welcome us with open arms, accept us despite our flaws, and remind us that we’re more than what we are to others."

This was an utterly fresh, relatable, emotional and amazing book that I've read lately. I devoured it so fast because the way it depicted situations that teenagers usually face so subtly, was very engaging. I could feel all of Laura's emotions and I could relate with her pov the most. I loved the dynamic between her & James a lot! I could never get enough of the childhood best friends to enemies to lovers trope and this book had it all! I loved the humor but I loved how one moment everything is going on fine and the next, circumstances turned pretty serious in the plot, even more. The flow of the story was perfect but it would've been a five star read if a certain annoying character didn't show up. Overall, I loved how the book captured the highs and lows of dating and what happens when suddenly all your friends get entangled into their own relationships then start ditching you for their boyfriend and you find yourself alone. The book had depth and all the characters were really well sketched with some real issues that teens struggle to go through. I'm glad I read this book, it was a special journey for Lara, about discovering herself and finding what makes her happy the most.

Thank you Netgalley & Wattpad books for providing me the ARC

Lara comes back from summer break and is surprised when all of her friends are in relationships and she becomes a third wheel. Enter James her nemesis and her senior year of high school is not off to a great start.

This was a cute cheesy romantic coming-of-age story. Lara is a very cynical 17 year old! Not wanting to talk about boys with anyone (even her sister). I understand not wanting a boyfriend but refusing to talk about boys with your friends or family when they are in relationships? I personally did not understand where Lara was coming from at all.

I loved that this story took place in Toronto, Ontario (where I live!) and that it was about a Filipino family! I loved the diversity of her friend group and it really reminded me of my time in high school.

I liked the family dynamics but felt like there was too much going on in Lara and James’ family that we don’t get to know about as the reader. It left me wanting more. I needed to know more about their past and how they intertwined. The bits that we got were just not enough.

Lara and James’ banter was just not the best. I thought it was a little childish - and extremely rude how they would purposely actually hurt each other. There is a big difference between taunts and hurtful comments. I just felt like the stuff they were saying to each other - especially in the beginning was never stuff I could forgive.

Also - if I am picking up a romantic book - I want there to be a happily ever after!! Where was my happily ever after?!?

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

I have so many thoughts on this one, but the main one being I'm so glad I read this!

I related so much to the main character, Lara. She's smart, she's driven, she's got a great family, but aside from all of that, she's got real fears. Fears about her friendships, fears about her future, fears about her relationships. I even related to the fact that her family is a great cast of immigrant characters. I felt like I was in my own foreign home growing up, even down to the dishes that were mentioned and grandma making delicious food.

I thought the relationship between the MC and the love interest was great because you know what, it doesn't always start of great and it doesn't always start of with love at first sight, even if you grow up together. I like the amount of communication that they had between the two even for a YA novel.

Then, the end. This was a perfect YA ending where it doesn't get all figured out because who does at age 17?

There were a few things that I cringed at. The side characters (the best friends) were okay, eh. It felt like they had no context and I honestly forgot they existed most of the time. They were described but I couldn't keep track of who was who.

Some of the statements from the adults in the book were eye roll worthy! Yikes!

Overall, good read!