This is a really charming book that deals with the anxiety of leaving high school and the life you’ve known. The characters are relatable and have a warmth and depth that I really enjoyed. While it could definitely be considered a romance and the MMC is definitely as witty and charming as you could hope for, the themes of friendship and overcoming fears and self doubts definitely drove the story

4⭐
This was a very unexpected read! I did not expect the ending at all, but it was the perfect definition of a YA romance. I LOVED the banter between Carina and Jay, and thought the enemies-to-lovers was great!

I enjoyed this book, especially for young teens who are struggling with friends or relationships. I would give it 4.5 stars.
It really looks at how the characters treat each other and how it impacts their friendships. Relationships were a primary focus of this book, but it was just as much about her friendships as it was the dates she was being set up on.
Carina is single and she is okay with that. However, she has had crush on her best friend Kalani's boyfriend, Emmett, for years, before they started dating and everyone knew. Kalani keeps telling Carina she is a fifth wheel and it makes things awkward. Kalani pressures Carina into going on dates. These dates are horrible and Carina begins to suspect that they were chosen for a reason, maybe Kalani found out about her huge crush on Emmett.
Early on, Carina meets Jay, a guy from another school and they seem to hate each other from the start. Yet as Carina starts to question her relationship with friends, Jay seems to be there for her, even while still pushing her buttons.

Even though from the synopsis, you would imagine this book is about her dates and her trying to find a relationship so that she isn't a fifth wheel anymore, it is actually more about her relationship with her girl friends, Kalani and Emi.
I thought the book did a great job of letting the reader discover the conflicts and struggles with Carina. I would have loved to see a little more to the resolution with her friends at the end. However, I really appreciate that Carina made choices that were best for her.

I would recommend this book for young teens/teens that want to read stories about friendships.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.