Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc.

Becoming is a heartfelt and engaging coming-of-age romance that beautifully captures the excitement and uncertainty of first love. Set in the fall of 1996, the story follows Shelby and Tanner as they navigate college life, personal growth, and the challenges of opening themselves up to love.
The dual POV works especially well, giving readers insight into both characters' fears, hopes, and emotional journeys. Shelby's search for her own identity after a restrictive upbringing is particularly compelling, while Tanner's struggle between following his carefully planned future and embracing the unexpected adds depth to the romance. The slow-burn relationship feels authentic and rewarding, supported by strong friendships, witty banter, and memorable college adventures.
While parts of the story move at a deliberate pace, the emotional connection between the characters keeps the pages turning. Overall, Becoming is a warm, nostalgic, and emotionally satisfying romance that fans of character-driven love stories will thoroughly enjoy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very heartfelt and good. The storyline was so nostalgic and perfectly executed. I loved every second of this book!!!! I highly recommend this book if you love stories of life and love and becoming who you are meant to be after leaving home.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This was really engaging from start to finish. I would absolutely check out more from this author. I would recommend this one to my followers.

Having been in college in 1996 myself, Becoming immediately brought out a sense of nostalgia for me. The setting, the time period, and the feeling of being young and figuring out who you are all worked together to make this story especially enjoyable.

One of my favorite things about this book was how realistic the characters felt. Shelby and Tanner both have their own insecurities, expectations, and ideas about what their futures should look like, and I really enjoyed watching both of them grow. Their journeys toward understanding themselve and realizing that life can be about more than the paths they originally planned really resonated with me.

The secondary characters were another highlight for me. Dana and Marcus were both wonderfully fleshed out and great additions to the story. They felt like real people with personalities and lives of their own rather than characters who existed solely to support the main couple. I’m definitely looking forward to their books.

Shelby and Tanner sometimes seemed a little young for the intensity of some of their emotions, but ultimately, I think that worked for the story. They are young people experiencing first love, figuring themselves out, and learning how to navigate emotions they haven't necessarily experienced before. That made their journey feel fitting for this stage of their lives.

Overall, Becoming gave me the nostalgia of remembering college in the '90s while also delivering a story about first love, personal growth, friendship, and figuring out who you want to become. I really enjoyed watching Shelby and Tanner find their way, and I’m already looking forward to spending more time with the secondary characters in their stories.

A solid debut, characters who are real, a story that pulls you in. The best part small South Carolina college in the 90s. The pop culture and nostalgia are spot on.

Shelby is such an easy character to relate to, she could be anyone we know. Her mother is a product of the time, and without her, we do not get Shelby’s story. As we meet her moving into the dorms, as a freshman so close to home, but it is her chance to grow. She does. She has spent her early years learning to be small but watching her grow into a person she wants to be, not her mothers daughter.

Shelby and Tanner give us a slow burn. The best kind, the relationship grows organically.

The friends group is an opportunity to explore. I hope we get to go back to South Carolina in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Monte Sano Press for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

"For the girls who were taught to be good before they were taught to be themselves."
A.J. Beckett completely stole my heart with this book. Becoming is so much more than a standard college romance, it is an incredibly poignant, beautifully written coming-of-age story about identity, autonomy, and the terrifying beauty of first love.
Set against a perfectly nostalgic 1996 South Carolina backdrop, the story follows Shelby and Tanner as they navigate their freshman year at Harlow University. Shelby has spent her entire life shrinking herself to fit her mother’s rigid expectations, while Tanner is a creature of hyper discipline, clutching tightly to a meticulously planned pre law future he cannot afford to lose. When their paths cross, the emotional gravity between them is instant and undeniable.
What makes this book so unforgettable is how raw and beautifully flawed both main characters are. Beckett writes dual POV masterfully, allowing us to feel the sheer weight of Shelby’s self-discovery and the cracks forming in Tanner’s carefully constructed armor. The slow burn tension is palpable, earning every single moment of vulnerability. The themes of finding your chosen family, learning to balance ambition with real life, and realizing that your worth isn't tied to perfection resonated deeply with me. It’s a tender, atmospheric, and emotionally heavy read that ultimately feels like a warm hug. I am officially invested in the Harlow Series and cannot wait to see what Beckett writes next!

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley.

OMFG!?!? This was a beautiful college, coming of age, semi-slow burn (which I usually DESPISE btw!!) romance that made me feel so happy yet ache for the characters at the same time.

I love how realistic this felt - two college students trying to figure their life the hell out with pressures going on around them. We got sweet girl, Shelby, trying to find her voice while her mother watched her under a microscope, wanting to learn what true love feels like, AND most importantly wanting to find herself. And Tanner, the one track minded, strict scheduled swimmer and pre-law student in order to make his dad happy.

I LOVED the progression of this book!! Nothing felt rushed or forced, and neither of them were trying to “save” each other which can sometimes be the case in other romance novels. These were two people with their own issues, but came together to support one another and help each other grow. The last 25% made me want to shake the characters so bad and be like WTF, but it was absolutely needed for their individual growth.

Overall, a fabulous debut novel!!

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this college romance, but I have to say, I really enjoyed it. It’s more than just a college romance—it’s also a coming-of-age story about figuring out who you are and where you fit in the world. A.J. Beckett did a great job with that part of the story.

I was a little worried at first that I wouldn’t enjoy a college romance at my age, but that really wasn’t an issue. I found myself enjoying the story and the characters more than I expected. I knew going in that there was some spice, so that wasn’t a surprise.

I really liked all of the characters. Normally there’s at least one character I can’t stand, but that wasn’t the case here. I especially enjoyed watching this group of friends slowly become friends and build their relationships with each other.

Now I’m curious to see where life takes all of them. I wouldn’t mind following this group a little longer!

Becoming by A.J. Beckett is a coming of age/New Adult love story. Shelby and Tanner's are two college students trying to accomplish their goals, learning about themselves and life along the way. They fall head over heels for each other. And the yearning and angst is very strong in this book! 🤭
Their individual stories are so relatable and touching. Tanner is an over achiever, he has everything planned put down to his daily schedule. Consistently is key to his life. But he thinks that means he has to cut out any extra activities and relationships in his life.
Shelby. Omg, Shelby she is me, I am her. She an over thinker, she seeks validation and just wants to be loved and be herself. But her over thinking gets in the way a lot of times. I felt for her.

"For the girls who were taught to be good before they were taught to be themselves." What an excellent dedication from AJ Beckett, it had me hooked right away. The book is set in 1996 and yet it deals with hang ups that still feel current. Shelby is a girl who carries the weight of being perfect and can't be herself at home because of her mom's constant scolding. And Tanner is a guy who's always making plans and follows such a strict routine that if he steps off his plan, he feels like he's already failed or that he'll end up mediocre. Their connection is instant, and while Shelby pushes herself at college to try everything, Tanner tries not to break the plan he mapped out for success, even when it means depriving himself of fun and of living. However, love isn't something you can plan, and that's what makes it wonderful, because even though Tanner doesn't want to, he starts to accept the unexpected. It's a love story that unfolds very slowly, at a calm pace, but it keeps the reader glued to the page. So if you like a slow burn, you'll definitely enjoy it. I felt like I was inside the story as a spectator, and I really loved it from beginning to end. The secondary characters, Dana and Marcus, were strong points too, and everything is really well developed, because they support this couple who carry insecurities and still dare to try. And the personal growth is well written because of how slowly this story simmers.

For me as to the most poignant parts of the book which actually I read several.times due to the messages really resonated with me was the dialogue that took place between Judge Groves and Tanner at Christmas. The fact that the Judge looked at a picture of his wife, Eleanor, and would trade all of his accomplishments over his thirty year career and the impact he had made with respect to state law, to have one more year with her. How a foundation should be created. How work actually becomes much better when it is built from discipline of love rather than sacrifice. Because Tanner always believed that victory can only come from struggle. That life needed to be broken down into columns where one can't infringe upon the other. Tanner was at Hawthorne to clerk for Judge Groves and to swim. He wasn't there to have fun but rather, despite Marcus' and Decker's pleads, he was there to operate as a machine. Shelby arrived at school with the expectation that she was not permitted to take up space. That she was meant to be on the sidelines and hide behind huge sweatshirts. Her mom wouldn't even buy a blue blouse she really liked due to her expectations as to how she would be perceived. Dana brought light to Shelby's life. She knew who she was and didn't really care about what other people thought. If she wanted to live a life like her romance novels, that was who she was going to be. As a result, when Shelby met Tanner, she knew it was her time to shine. Shelby was going to be the person she was meant to be, strong and confident. She was going to take up space and be heard. So it felt like when the two came together and fell in love, it would be enough. Yet, Tanner didn't seem to understand that you cannot let a person into only certain parts of your life. In creating these types of silos, they will never really know who you actually are. He was at his best both academically and in swimming when he was with Shelby. This could take place at the beach house or in the pool. The most important thing was they were together. I loved at the end that Shelby really became a person that a reader would certainly admire. She knew what she wanted and deserved and she was going to go get it. It would happen whether it would be with someone else or just by herself. She was capable of it all.