What's Not to Love

Alec and Natalie are academic rivals at their high school in California, competing for valedictorian and constantly trying to one-up each other. They serve together on student council but can barely stand to be in the same room, their mutual disdain evident in every interaction. When they're forced to work closely together on a major school project, Alec and Natalie begin to see different sides of each other beyond their competitive personas. Their dynamic shifts as they grapple with college decisions, family expectations, and their evolving relationship. The story follows their senior year journey as they navigate the pressures of academic excellence while questioning their long-held assumptions about each other and themselves. Their progression from enemies to something more complex unfolds against the backdrop of college applications and end-of-high-school milestones. The novel explores themes of identity, rivalry, and how the personas we present to others may not reflect our true selves. It examines the weight of expectations - both self-imposed and external - and the courage required to challenge our preconceptions.

Readers praise the enemies-to-lovers dynamic between the two academic rivals and their competitive banter. Many found the dual POV narration effective in showing both characters' growth and vulnerabilities. Multiple reviews note the authentic portrayal of academic pressure and college applications. Common criticisms include repetitive arguments between the leads, slow pacing in the middle sections, and some found the characters initially unlikeable. Several readers mentioned the resolution felt rushed. From review sites: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (15,000+ ratings) "The competitive academic setting felt real and relatable" - Goodreads reviewer "Too much back-and-forth arguing before getting to the romance" - Amazon reviewer Amazon: 4.3/5 (500+ ratings) "Perfect balance of rivalry and romance" - Amazon reviewer StoryGraph: 3.75/5 - 44% rated it "lighthearted" - 28% found it "slow-paced" - Most common positive: "strong character development" - Most common negative: "took too long to get going"

Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon Two academic rivals spend their last day of high school in a competition across Seattle while confronting their feelings for each other.

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter A romance-movie obsessed teen enlists her next-door neighbor to help her win over her long-time crush, leading to unexpected complications.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord Two teens engage in a Twitter war over their families' competing restaurants while unknowingly falling for each other through anonymous messages.

The Upside of Falling by Alex Light A bookworm and the school's star athlete enter a fake relationship that becomes more real than either expected.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry Two best friends who take annual vacations together must confront their unspoken feelings during one final trip to repair their fractured relationship.

📚 Authors Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka are married in real life and write all their books together as co-authors. 🎓 The novel's academic rivals plot reflects the authors' own experiences as competitive students, with Emily having attended Princeton University and Austin graduating from Harvard. 💑 This book is part of a series of standalone YA contemporary romances that the author duo has written, exploring different tropes and dynamics in teenage relationships. 🏫 The novel's debate team setting draws from Austin Siegemund-Broka's background as a high school debater and his experience competing in tournaments. ✍️ The authors wrote this book during the COVID-19 pandemic, incorporating their own memories of high school while being physically separated from the school environment during lockdown.