I, Laura, read this wonderful book by Talia Hibbert, out today!! We are huge stans of Hibbert on OWWR Pod, and this did not disappoint!

Celine is a conspiracy theorist who marches to the beat of her own drum. Brad is a sci-fi fanatic whose life seems to be perfect. They used to be friends, until Brad decided being popular was more important. Although rivals, Celine and Brad find themselves being forced to work together to win a scholarship in the Breakspeare Enrichment Program, a nature boot camp that launches its graduates into successful careers.

I found this book absolutely adorable. I already consider myself a huge fan of Hibbert’s, and was so excited to read her YA debut. It did not disappoint! Brad and Celine are wonderful characters and I appreciated how this book was as much a story of self discovery as it was a cute romance. As always, Hibbert is the master of witty banter between characters and I thought the dynamic between Celine and Brad and how their relationship changed was so well written. The side characters were also a really great addition. I adored Brad’s dad and Celine’s mom and sister.

Another thing that I appreciate about Hibbert’s writing is how she writes about many different types of people and does so in such a natural way. Her writing features POC, neurodivergence, chronic illness, different body sizes, and queerness without making anything seem forced. I really adore this type of inclusion and representation in books and hope that more authors can follow Hibbert’s lead when writing characters.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute romance, but also think that it is a great read for young people who may be struggling with decisions about future career paths.

Thanks to NetGalley and Joy Revolution for allowing me an ARC of Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute!

Genre: YA Romance
Page Count: 336
Content Warnings: Parental abandonment; mentions of racism; mentions of homophobia