Wibberley, Emily, and Austin Siegemund-Broka. What’s Not to Love. Viking, 2021. 978-1-984-83586-4. $18.99. Grades 9-12.

Straight-laced, straight-A student Alison competes for everything in high school – top grades, club and activity leadership, and even community service. As senior year comes to an end, Alison begins to realize she hasn’t really taken the time to enjoy anything, but it all is a means to her end goal: acceptance into Harvard. Pushing her at everything is fellow valedictorian competition Ethan Molloy. Alison and Ethan have a toxic competition, always checking to see who scores the highest grade and having crazy competitions called “blitzes” to see who finishes a test first. Then the principal assigns these top two the task of co-planning a previous class’s 10-year reunion and dangles a Harvard recommendation if they can pull off the reunion. Competition reaches a new high, and despite being completely annoyed at times, Alison realizes she might kind of like Ethan as more than a competitor and maybe even as more than and friend. But where does that leave their competition, and who will get the Harvard recommendation?

THOUGHTS: Written by husband and wife YA romance duo, readers will enjoy the banter of Alison and Ethan even if they can’t completely relate. Fans of opposites attract or enemies to lovers stories will enjoy this competitive, steamy romance. A purchase for high school libraries where realistic romance or other titles by these authors are popular.

Romance           Maryalice Bond, South Middleton SD