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No One Needs to Know
Sometimes, the cost of love is too steepOlivia's twin brother, Liam, has been her best friend her whole life. But when he starts dating, Olivia is left feeling alone, so she tries to drive away Liam's girlfriends in an effort to get her best friend back.But she meets her match in Zoey, Liam's latest fling. A call-it-like-she-sees-it kind of girl, Zoey sees right through Olivia's tricks. What starts as verbal sparring between the two changes into something different, however, as they share their deepest insecurities and learn they have a lot in common. Olivia falls for Zoey, believing her brother could never get serious with her. But when Liam confesses that he's in love with Zoey, Olivia has to decide who deserves happiness her brother or herself?
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First published September 1, 2014
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About the author
Amanda Grace
58 books243 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Amanda Grace is a pseudonym for young adult author Mandy Hubbard (PRADA AND PREJUDICE, YOU WISH). She lives near Seattle, Washington, with her husband and young daughter.
Amanda Grace is a pseudonym for young adult author Mandy Hubbard (PRADA AND PREJUDICE, YOU WISH). She lives near Seattle, Washington, with her husband and young daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
February 21, 2020
“You’re amazing, but you’re not … you’re not Olivia.”
Olivia falls for her classmate/her brother's sort of girlfriend. I was prepared for a lot of pain. Thankfully there was no homophobia or big confrontations only a little angst. It isn't exactly a love triangle since Zoey wasn't much into Liam to begin with.
The premise is almost like The Space Between except not that dramatic and the characters aren't as well-rounded. The development form rivals to friends to lovers was great considering it's under 200 pages.
Olivia falls for her classmate/her brother's sort of girlfriend. I was prepared for a lot of pain. Thankfully there was no homophobia or big confrontations only a little angst. It isn't exactly a love triangle since Zoey wasn't much into Liam to begin with.
The premise is almost like The Space Between except not that dramatic and the characters aren't as well-rounded. The development form rivals to friends to lovers was great considering it's under 200 pages.
September 1, 2014
Initial reaction: I feel guilty for saying that I looked forward to this novel because even for the respective thematic of a cheating relationship possibly occurring and other issues the narrative had to offer, I still think this had the potential to be something beyond a cliched, shallow presentation of insufferable teens who had very few things to like about them. I'll admit there were moments in the narrative that - when isolated in and of themselves - were cute. But where was the foundation to this novel? I couldn't feel any of the purported emotions associated with this. It's incredibly shallow and I felt like I was missing a lot of emotional resonance with it.
Don't get me started on the very easy resolution this novel had for the novel's purported biggest conflict. It didn't work. I was not convinced at all of the reality, development, or identity of this. Threadbare, if not nonexistent.
Full review:
Short version: this book was a mess. An underdeveloped, selfish, undermining mess. How a book could screw up such a great idea is something I honestly don't understand. If there were something I'd tell the author directly, I would say "Great ideas, but the narrative does absolutely nothing to develop them at all - choosing instead to focus on petty measures and lend more to cliches rather than developing the heart of the characters and issues chosen to address. And it's not the subjects themselves that are derivative, it's the chosen presentation. And with what was chosen to present, it didn't go far enough."
But maybe that's something I can say about my experiences reading Amanda Grace so far. I've read a total of three of her narratives, one of which ("The Truth About You and Me") I thought was okay, but saw the narrative style didn't work for what it was trying to accomplish. I *hated* "In Too Deep", because for the gravity of the subject matter and the level of complexity the narrative had to offer for its thematic, the execution was terrible and actually undermined its respective illuminations.
"No One Needs to Know" really dropped the ball for the promise of the narrative, falling in line with the weaknesses of the aforementioned works. It takes a number of very interesting scenarios (examining the growing distance in the relationship between twin siblings, has a young woman who's caught in a love triangle between said twins and contemplates cheating, developing a GLBT relationship and establishing the value/acceptance in that sexuality, etc.) But to say this was a mediocre work is actually an understatement, to be blunt about it.
Granted, I know that these are teenagers who are notably flawed in personality who go through some rough patches in their respective relationships, but seriously? These characters were selfish brats and I had absolutely very little to no reason to care about them. None. I had a feeling since there was very little tying me to the plight of these teens from the beginning (based on the presentation of their personalities) that the experience would be rough, but I stuck with it patiently, waiting to see where it would go.
The narrative toggles between two first-person perspectives: Olivia and Zoey.
Olivia and Liam, her twin brother, are very well off financially and purportedly have had a close relationship. I identified with this because I am - myself - a fraternal twin. But the struggle with Olivia and Liam is that their respective relationship is growing apart. Liam is steadily doing more things with his circle of friends and trying to "grow up" from his sister (this is later revealed in the narrative as it goes along). He even forgets to meet with her and leaves her hanging one night they were supposed to go to the movies. Olivia also struggles with her own ideals of perfectionism and determining what she wants in life. She's a gymnast with so much "potential" as she's told in the narrative, but there are times when she's shown to screw up and berate herself for such measures (which, admittedly is realistic). She's high anxiety and takes Xanax from time to time to manage her anxiety.
You might be thinking at this point "Uh, Rose, there's nothing wrong with that set up at all - that's a great establishment for a character in a teen novel." I would be inclined to agree with that if Grace's presentation of the character didn't make Olivia seem like the most unlikable, self-indulgent, prejudiced brat walking in the scheme of the story. More on that later.
Olivia meets Zoey at one of the oddest possible times (notably a contentious restroom confrontation). Zoey is a young woman with her own problems - she's poor, her younger sister's being bullied while others turn a blind eye, her mother can't afford to move to a different neighborhood. Zoey is also known as the "boyfriend stealing slut" considering a social fallout that happened at school. But the way Zoey acts makes her seem self-entitled and heavily judgmental. It's a quality that both Olivia and Zoey seem to share despite their respective backgrounds, and the two seem very prejudiced against each other for that despite the fact that they have to work together for a school project.
Again, the set up isn't so much the bad part as it was the way that the author chose to execute this. Even when Liam ends up taking an interest in Zoey upon their meeting one night, much of the way the novel presents this is very threadbare. I didn't see what Liam saw in Zoey, nor the reverse. And Zoey and Olivia's relationship is supposedly like-hate, but it was difficult to see much beyond their hatred and prejudices against their respective lifestyles, especially at first. A lot of unnecessary drama and petty conflicts are shown; its hard to connect to the characters in that sense or find things that humanize them. Between the girl-girl hate, rampant slut shaming (not just on the part of what Zoey experiences, but Olivia even slut shames her own brother for his relationships, which made me angry) and attention given to that, I almost wanted to throw up my hands and ask why - because it felt like it was glorifying those details rather than focusing on the conflict or making it have any kind of realistic approach beyond *drama*. I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt to say that maybe these characters would have some kind of coming to terms later on for their differences, so I moved forward.
The narrative drags for well over half the novel before getting to the moment where Olivia and Zoey actually do begin a relationship that's suggestive of something more between them - and oddly, it's weird that the narrative took that long to get to that point considering its the main focus of the premise - it took too long. Too far too long to get to that point - probably around 60 to 70% of the novel it seemed like.. There are moments of tolerance that are shown for each girl's lifestyles, but again - it wasn't just that it was cliched and threadbare, it was also very understated and undeveloped. There's a distinct lack of character motivation and thought behind some of these crucial moments, whether it's each girl finally coming to terms with the differences between them for lifestyle, or it's the rationale for their affections toward each other.
The latter is one thing that I don't think came across well in this novel at all. The issue of identity and sexuality and thoughts/emotions behind that was almost completely skipped in this novel. Not even really addressed. It's like a lightbulb turned on in each of the character's heads and they suddenly decided they liked each other. On another hand - and I found this quite problematic - it's like the acknowledgement of Zoey's respective affections toward Olivia came across only after she acknowledged her history as a "slut" who stole other people's boyfriends, and Olivia's affections only came across after she realized her jealousy in Zoey's competing interest for her brother's attention as they grew apart. If this connection were made in conjunction with these teens more substantive discoveries of their respective sexuality and identities - maybe that would give more context and meaning, but again, the sexuality and identity issue wasn't even really addressed in this novel. It was instalove city, suddenly the girls were like "I don't hate you anymore, I love you," and it just came out of nowhere almost. There was very little substantial build-up to that relationship.
What happened after that was a cascade of events that felt like lightbulb switches going off and on just upon a whim to make the relationship that much easier to see the resolution for. And it sucks because I think that should've been more of the focus of the narrative than all that time spent on the girls' petty rivalry that was suddenly subverted so far along into the novel. There was plenty potential of conflict for not just the girls coming to terms with their own sexuality internally, but also for developing that over time outside of the drama. The girls aren't all that likable in personality to begin with and seem to throw away opportunities carelessly at the drop of a hat (case in point, the way Olivia drops gymnastics. I appreciated that Grace wanted to show that Olivia realizing it wasn't pertinent to her life, but the way it was done was so dismissive.)
Liam really didn't have much of a role in this novel, and like the girls' personalities, his was very threadbare - one dimensional to the girls' two dimensions. Liam was more of a setpiece that was conveniently thrown in as a resolution for where it suited the situation, whether it was for getting Olivia to realize she was being too clingy and had to come into her own person, or for essentially handing off his relationship with Zoey to Olivia when he discovered they were having one under his nose. It wasn't right, despite the numerous times this narrative tried to convince me "it felt right" for repetition alone.
There are so many stronger GLBT narratives out there that don't perpetuate problematic stereotypes and develop meaningful relationships between the characters that feel whole and welcoming without pandering just for the sake of convenience. I felt really underwhelmed with this book, even offended that it chose to omit so many important issues in the dialogue the book's blurb (and beautiful cover) suggested. As I mentioned in one of my status updates while reading this work, if two words about this narrative came to mind: "petty" and "shallow" would cover it. There was very little in the way of character intimacy, motivation, or development to be had in this novel, and I honestly think delving into that further, sans cliches and convenient plot points, could've made it more believable.
Not recommended. I'd honestly try some of K.E. Payne's or Malinda Lo's works, and even Nancy Garden's "Annie on My Mind" as better examples of literature in this genre that don't feel so gimmicky and undermining of the measures developed within as well as pertinent to the problems teens face not just in their daily lives, but relationships.
Overall score: 0.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Flux.
Don't get me started on the very easy resolution this novel had for the novel's purported biggest conflict. It didn't work. I was not convinced at all of the reality, development, or identity of this. Threadbare, if not nonexistent.
Full review:
Short version: this book was a mess. An underdeveloped, selfish, undermining mess. How a book could screw up such a great idea is something I honestly don't understand. If there were something I'd tell the author directly, I would say "Great ideas, but the narrative does absolutely nothing to develop them at all - choosing instead to focus on petty measures and lend more to cliches rather than developing the heart of the characters and issues chosen to address. And it's not the subjects themselves that are derivative, it's the chosen presentation. And with what was chosen to present, it didn't go far enough."
But maybe that's something I can say about my experiences reading Amanda Grace so far. I've read a total of three of her narratives, one of which ("The Truth About You and Me") I thought was okay, but saw the narrative style didn't work for what it was trying to accomplish. I *hated* "In Too Deep", because for the gravity of the subject matter and the level of complexity the narrative had to offer for its thematic, the execution was terrible and actually undermined its respective illuminations.
"No One Needs to Know" really dropped the ball for the promise of the narrative, falling in line with the weaknesses of the aforementioned works. It takes a number of very interesting scenarios (examining the growing distance in the relationship between twin siblings, has a young woman who's caught in a love triangle between said twins and contemplates cheating, developing a GLBT relationship and establishing the value/acceptance in that sexuality, etc.) But to say this was a mediocre work is actually an understatement, to be blunt about it.
Granted, I know that these are teenagers who are notably flawed in personality who go through some rough patches in their respective relationships, but seriously? These characters were selfish brats and I had absolutely very little to no reason to care about them. None. I had a feeling since there was very little tying me to the plight of these teens from the beginning (based on the presentation of their personalities) that the experience would be rough, but I stuck with it patiently, waiting to see where it would go.
The narrative toggles between two first-person perspectives: Olivia and Zoey.
Olivia and Liam, her twin brother, are very well off financially and purportedly have had a close relationship. I identified with this because I am - myself - a fraternal twin. But the struggle with Olivia and Liam is that their respective relationship is growing apart. Liam is steadily doing more things with his circle of friends and trying to "grow up" from his sister (this is later revealed in the narrative as it goes along). He even forgets to meet with her and leaves her hanging one night they were supposed to go to the movies. Olivia also struggles with her own ideals of perfectionism and determining what she wants in life. She's a gymnast with so much "potential" as she's told in the narrative, but there are times when she's shown to screw up and berate herself for such measures (which, admittedly is realistic). She's high anxiety and takes Xanax from time to time to manage her anxiety.
You might be thinking at this point "Uh, Rose, there's nothing wrong with that set up at all - that's a great establishment for a character in a teen novel." I would be inclined to agree with that if Grace's presentation of the character didn't make Olivia seem like the most unlikable, self-indulgent, prejudiced brat walking in the scheme of the story. More on that later.
Olivia meets Zoey at one of the oddest possible times (notably a contentious restroom confrontation). Zoey is a young woman with her own problems - she's poor, her younger sister's being bullied while others turn a blind eye, her mother can't afford to move to a different neighborhood. Zoey is also known as the "boyfriend stealing slut" considering a social fallout that happened at school. But the way Zoey acts makes her seem self-entitled and heavily judgmental. It's a quality that both Olivia and Zoey seem to share despite their respective backgrounds, and the two seem very prejudiced against each other for that despite the fact that they have to work together for a school project.
Again, the set up isn't so much the bad part as it was the way that the author chose to execute this. Even when Liam ends up taking an interest in Zoey upon their meeting one night, much of the way the novel presents this is very threadbare. I didn't see what Liam saw in Zoey, nor the reverse. And Zoey and Olivia's relationship is supposedly like-hate, but it was difficult to see much beyond their hatred and prejudices against their respective lifestyles, especially at first. A lot of unnecessary drama and petty conflicts are shown; its hard to connect to the characters in that sense or find things that humanize them. Between the girl-girl hate, rampant slut shaming (not just on the part of what Zoey experiences, but Olivia even slut shames her own brother for his relationships, which made me angry) and attention given to that, I almost wanted to throw up my hands and ask why - because it felt like it was glorifying those details rather than focusing on the conflict or making it have any kind of realistic approach beyond *drama*. I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt to say that maybe these characters would have some kind of coming to terms later on for their differences, so I moved forward.
The narrative drags for well over half the novel before getting to the moment where Olivia and Zoey actually do begin a relationship that's suggestive of something more between them - and oddly, it's weird that the narrative took that long to get to that point considering its the main focus of the premise - it took too long. Too far too long to get to that point - probably around 60 to 70% of the novel it seemed like.. There are moments of tolerance that are shown for each girl's lifestyles, but again - it wasn't just that it was cliched and threadbare, it was also very understated and undeveloped. There's a distinct lack of character motivation and thought behind some of these crucial moments, whether it's each girl finally coming to terms with the differences between them for lifestyle, or it's the rationale for their affections toward each other.
The latter is one thing that I don't think came across well in this novel at all. The issue of identity and sexuality and thoughts/emotions behind that was almost completely skipped in this novel. Not even really addressed. It's like a lightbulb turned on in each of the character's heads and they suddenly decided they liked each other. On another hand - and I found this quite problematic - it's like the acknowledgement of Zoey's respective affections toward Olivia came across only after she acknowledged her history as a "slut" who stole other people's boyfriends, and Olivia's affections only came across after she realized her jealousy in Zoey's competing interest for her brother's attention as they grew apart. If this connection were made in conjunction with these teens more substantive discoveries of their respective sexuality and identities - maybe that would give more context and meaning, but again, the sexuality and identity issue wasn't even really addressed in this novel. It was instalove city, suddenly the girls were like "I don't hate you anymore, I love you," and it just came out of nowhere almost. There was very little substantial build-up to that relationship.
What happened after that was a cascade of events that felt like lightbulb switches going off and on just upon a whim to make the relationship that much easier to see the resolution for. And it sucks because I think that should've been more of the focus of the narrative than all that time spent on the girls' petty rivalry that was suddenly subverted so far along into the novel. There was plenty potential of conflict for not just the girls coming to terms with their own sexuality internally, but also for developing that over time outside of the drama. The girls aren't all that likable in personality to begin with and seem to throw away opportunities carelessly at the drop of a hat (case in point, the way Olivia drops gymnastics. I appreciated that Grace wanted to show that Olivia realizing it wasn't pertinent to her life, but the way it was done was so dismissive.)
Liam really didn't have much of a role in this novel, and like the girls' personalities, his was very threadbare - one dimensional to the girls' two dimensions. Liam was more of a setpiece that was conveniently thrown in as a resolution for where it suited the situation, whether it was for getting Olivia to realize she was being too clingy and had to come into her own person, or for essentially handing off his relationship with Zoey to Olivia when he discovered they were having one under his nose. It wasn't right, despite the numerous times this narrative tried to convince me "it felt right" for repetition alone.
There are so many stronger GLBT narratives out there that don't perpetuate problematic stereotypes and develop meaningful relationships between the characters that feel whole and welcoming without pandering just for the sake of convenience. I felt really underwhelmed with this book, even offended that it chose to omit so many important issues in the dialogue the book's blurb (and beautiful cover) suggested. As I mentioned in one of my status updates while reading this work, if two words about this narrative came to mind: "petty" and "shallow" would cover it. There was very little in the way of character intimacy, motivation, or development to be had in this novel, and I honestly think delving into that further, sans cliches and convenient plot points, could've made it more believable.
Not recommended. I'd honestly try some of K.E. Payne's or Malinda Lo's works, and even Nancy Garden's "Annie on My Mind" as better examples of literature in this genre that don't feel so gimmicky and undermining of the measures developed within as well as pertinent to the problems teens face not just in their daily lives, but relationships.
Overall score: 0.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Flux.
February 4, 2019
3.5 stars
I'd consider this more of a light YA LGBT read. It's a classic opposites attract, rich vs poor girl, romance that doesn't go particularly deep.
The conflict in the story more comes from two girls of different classes developing affection for each other and overcoming their preconceived notions. There is a love triangle of sorts but since Zoey and Liam only get to a "like" level while Zoey and Olivia go deeper it's not too big of a monkey wrench.
When it comes to sexuality, the internal struggles are minimal and there's not even an coming out story arc. Each lead doesn't even label their sexualities or ponder what it means to have an attraction to a girl (suddenly)...which makes both leads bi?
Regardless, it was an entertaining enough read that has a positive outcome. I liked the characters and the romance aspect was very PG. A bit too simple for me but an okay read overall.
I'd consider this more of a light YA LGBT read. It's a classic opposites attract, rich vs poor girl, romance that doesn't go particularly deep.
The conflict in the story more comes from two girls of different classes developing affection for each other and overcoming their preconceived notions. There is a love triangle of sorts but since Zoey and Liam only get to a "like" level while Zoey and Olivia go deeper it's not too big of a monkey wrench.
When it comes to sexuality, the internal struggles are minimal and there's not even an coming out story arc. Each lead doesn't even label their sexualities or ponder what it means to have an attraction to a girl (suddenly)...which makes both leads bi?
Regardless, it was an entertaining enough read that has a positive outcome. I liked the characters and the romance aspect was very PG. A bit too simple for me but an okay read overall.
Want to read
August 9, 2016Oh my god, a love triangle involving boy/girl twins?!
This should be interesting....
This should be interesting....
May 28, 2022
I enjoyed this well written story about three people, twins raised in a wealthy but detached family and a girl from the wrong side of town whose mum is doing it tough.
Zoey and Olivia go to the same school, but are far from friends when one day Olivia's twin brother Liam brings Zoey home with him to play pool when he meets her outside a 7/11. So the classic love triangle develops with Liam being the outsider. I liked all the characters, their relationships seemed real and Zoey's little sister Carolyn is a charmer. All taking place in Tacoma, nice setting for a nice story.
Zoey and Olivia go to the same school, but are far from friends when one day Olivia's twin brother Liam brings Zoey home with him to play pool when he meets her outside a 7/11. So the classic love triangle develops with Liam being the outsider. I liked all the characters, their relationships seemed real and Zoey's little sister Carolyn is a charmer. All taking place in Tacoma, nice setting for a nice story.
October 24, 2014
I think that what I loved about this book might be some of the reasons that people have been rating it lower.
This is not a deep novel, this is not another painful LGBTQ+ teen novel with everything being horrible forever.
No, this book is everything you'd expect from a light YA novel, just with f/f romance. Seriously. And that's what I was looking for. Personally, it's nice to be able to read a book about the kind of romance I want without being lambasted with "Oh no, she's a lady, how can I love her ANGST". Maybe that's true for a lot of people, but this is fiction, and it doesn't always have to be that way.
Besides, it's a short book, and I was more interested in Olivia discovering who she wanted to be, and Liam trying to navigate his relationship with his sister, and Zoey dealing with the aftermath of bulling (and her sister experiencing a different kind of bullying), and misconceptions, and none of the stupid fighting that often characterizes YA novels.
Olivia and Zoey may have had some angst, but at least both of them understood what was going on.
Honestly, the only reason I'm not giving this five stars, is that the beginning is a little weird. I look forward to reading more by Amanda Grace.
This is not a deep novel, this is not another painful LGBTQ+ teen novel with everything being horrible forever.
No, this book is everything you'd expect from a light YA novel, just with f/f romance. Seriously. And that's what I was looking for. Personally, it's nice to be able to read a book about the kind of romance I want without being lambasted with "Oh no, she's a lady, how can I love her ANGST". Maybe that's true for a lot of people, but this is fiction, and it doesn't always have to be that way.
Besides, it's a short book, and I was more interested in Olivia discovering who she wanted to be, and Liam trying to navigate his relationship with his sister, and Zoey dealing with the aftermath of bulling (and her sister experiencing a different kind of bullying), and misconceptions, and none of the stupid fighting that often characterizes YA novels.
Olivia and Zoey may have had some angst, but at least both of them understood what was going on.
Honestly, the only reason I'm not giving this five stars, is that the beginning is a little weird. I look forward to reading more by Amanda Grace.
September 12, 2014
I've enjoyed books by Mandy Hubbard (Amanda Grace is a psuedonym) and I try to read and review as much LGBTQ+ YA fiction as possible. But I must admit, I found the synopsis of NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW somewhat off-putting. Basically, Olivia falls for Zoey, who is dating her twin brother Liam. I am not a fan of cheating stories, and it seemed like it would be a huge betrayal.
Surprisingly, Grace pulled it off. The attraction between the girls grew in a subtle, organic way and there wasn't crazy hurtful drama. I would've preferred no cheating at all, but I didn't find it terrible.
When NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW starts, Zoey and Olivia are fiercely arguing with each other after being paired together for a school project. Olivia thinks Zoey always believes the worst of people, that they remember and care deeply about the rumors about her. Zoey thinks Olivia is a mean girl, along with her best friend. As the story goes on, both girls learn how wrong their impressions about each other were, because there's a lot more to people than the surface. At the same time, they each realize that the other girl was pretty right about their faults, and they both take steps to grow.
There are lots of other traits to Zoey and Olivia, often opposing. Zoey has a tight-knit but poor family. Olivia and Liam are rich, but their parents are never home and Liam is drifting apart from Olivia as he grows up and tries to find himself. It's a bit simplistic, but it works because NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW is really short. The balance gets the themes across elegantly.
I thought NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW was a sweet little read. It's a lovely YA romance with two likeable heroines and great character growth. There are a bunch of cliches, but Grace does a good job of finding the depth beneath the surface, just like Olivia and Zoey.
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Surprisingly, Grace pulled it off. The attraction between the girls grew in a subtle, organic way and there wasn't crazy hurtful drama. I would've preferred no cheating at all, but I didn't find it terrible.
When NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW starts, Zoey and Olivia are fiercely arguing with each other after being paired together for a school project. Olivia thinks Zoey always believes the worst of people, that they remember and care deeply about the rumors about her. Zoey thinks Olivia is a mean girl, along with her best friend. As the story goes on, both girls learn how wrong their impressions about each other were, because there's a lot more to people than the surface. At the same time, they each realize that the other girl was pretty right about their faults, and they both take steps to grow.
There are lots of other traits to Zoey and Olivia, often opposing. Zoey has a tight-knit but poor family. Olivia and Liam are rich, but their parents are never home and Liam is drifting apart from Olivia as he grows up and tries to find himself. It's a bit simplistic, but it works because NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW is really short. The balance gets the themes across elegantly.
I thought NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW was a sweet little read. It's a lovely YA romance with two likeable heroines and great character growth. There are a bunch of cliches, but Grace does a good job of finding the depth beneath the surface, just like Olivia and Zoey.
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September 29, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. It was different than what I expected. It's a simple and sweet contemporary read that focusses mostly on family relationships with a sprinkle of romance.
It talked about Zoey and Olivia's socioeconomic differences. Olivia hails from a wealthy family and Zoey from a poorer one. It delves into Zoey's uncertainty about the future because of the weight of responsibility she has to her family. Which I thought were all very realistic concerns. It delved into Olivia and Liam's relationship as siblings and children to absent parents. I felt that the way it was explored and talked about was not in a juvenile way. Olivia's anxiety and Liam's loneliness were very real and heartfelt. Lastly was the romantic triangle between the siblings and Zoey. I felt that the feelings between Zoey and Olivia came about a little awkwardly. I feel like there needed to be more time given to see it occur more seamlessly. For more than half the book I thought they were just going to remain friends with occasional thought about something more.
It wasn't a mind blowing read but if you want to easy into some contemporary reading, whether your new to this genre or you need a palette cleanser, you will enjoy this one for sure.
It talked about Zoey and Olivia's socioeconomic differences. Olivia hails from a wealthy family and Zoey from a poorer one. It delves into Zoey's uncertainty about the future because of the weight of responsibility she has to her family. Which I thought were all very realistic concerns. It delved into Olivia and Liam's relationship as siblings and children to absent parents. I felt that the way it was explored and talked about was not in a juvenile way. Olivia's anxiety and Liam's loneliness were very real and heartfelt. Lastly was the romantic triangle between the siblings and Zoey. I felt that the feelings between Zoey and Olivia came about a little awkwardly. I feel like there needed to be more time given to see it occur more seamlessly. For more than half the book I thought they were just going to remain friends with occasional thought about something more.
It wasn't a mind blowing read but if you want to easy into some contemporary reading, whether your new to this genre or you need a palette cleanser, you will enjoy this one for sure.
January 10, 2018
3.5 stars
This was a sweet contemporary read with a lovely romance, but it was a rare instance of a book actually being too short. I wanted it to be longer and I think it needed to be longer and if it had been I think I'd have been looking at something approaching a five star read.
Liam and Olivia are twins and had always been inseparable until Liam joined a different school. They start to drift apart and Olivia has to compete for Liam's attention and by driving away his girlfriends. This is until Zoey comes on the scene, and Olivia has to decide who deserves happiness more - her or her brother.
There was a good lead up to the romance and I liked that Olivia and Zoey were friends first and then realised their feelings for each other. There were so many good aspects to this book - I liked the writing style, which was concise and non-waffley, I liked the characters, I liked the story arc. I just needed more background and more actual plot.
Another odd thing (I thought) was that this was a novel about two bisexual girls (I'm assuming they were bi - both mention being with boys before they were with each other), only the B-Word never gets mentioned. Like, not once. It would have been great if this book had have explored the girls' sexual identity a bit more.
Likewise, I got that Olivia really missed hanging out with Liam like they used to, but only because she kept saying it. I needed to have a bit more background into their relationship. Twins have a really fascinating dynamic and this could have been explored a bit more. Liam didn't get enough of a look-in and he was a character that would have been worth expanding.
All in all an okay read, if you want something quite light and flim-flam where you don't have to concentrate too much.
This was a sweet contemporary read with a lovely romance, but it was a rare instance of a book actually being too short. I wanted it to be longer and I think it needed to be longer and if it had been I think I'd have been looking at something approaching a five star read.
Liam and Olivia are twins and had always been inseparable until Liam joined a different school. They start to drift apart and Olivia has to compete for Liam's attention and by driving away his girlfriends. This is until Zoey comes on the scene, and Olivia has to decide who deserves happiness more - her or her brother.
There was a good lead up to the romance and I liked that Olivia and Zoey were friends first and then realised their feelings for each other. There were so many good aspects to this book - I liked the writing style, which was concise and non-waffley, I liked the characters, I liked the story arc. I just needed more background and more actual plot.
Another odd thing (I thought) was that this was a novel about two bisexual girls (I'm assuming they were bi - both mention being with boys before they were with each other), only the B-Word never gets mentioned. Like, not once. It would have been great if this book had have explored the girls' sexual identity a bit more.
Likewise, I got that Olivia really missed hanging out with Liam like they used to, but only because she kept saying it. I needed to have a bit more background into their relationship. Twins have a really fascinating dynamic and this could have been explored a bit more. Liam didn't get enough of a look-in and he was a character that would have been worth expanding.
All in all an okay read, if you want something quite light and flim-flam where you don't have to concentrate too much.
September 4, 2015
Istyria book blog ~ B's world of enchanted books
Oh this book is so wonderful! When I saw it on Netgalley, I instantly requested it and even though it wouldn’t release for months, I had a feeling I just needed to read it immediately. I didn’t care about the fact that I wouldn’t be able to put up the full review yet. Okay, I could have, but since it would be such a long time before the book’s release, it wouldn’t have had much use. And I’m so glad I didn’t wait to read it! I loved this book!
No One Needs To Know is about Olivia and Zoey. Two totally different people. Olivia is a perfectionist and seems to be a rich snob. Zoey works after school and in the weekends to help her mom pay the bills. When they’re paired together for an essay, it seems like it won’t be easy for them. But then Zoey starts going out with her twin brother and they spend a lot more time together than originally planned. Somethings starts to grown between them. More than friendship. Her brother seems to like Zoey a lot more than all the other girls he’s had and she’s faced with the choice of who deserves happiness more… Her brother or herself.
When you read the blurb, it sounds not that great, right? And you’d expect a love triangle too. But it wasn’t like that at all. It was so amazing! The romance was so sweet and cute and it’s not insta-love either. Olivia and Zoey don’t even like each other in the beginning. But Zoey starts going out with Liam, Olivia’s twin brother, and they spend time together and they become friends and ultimately more. And it’s so beautifully done! I was sighing and swooning the entire time.
What I did not expect was how engaging this book would be. It pulled me in and didn’t let me go. This is one of those books were you say ‘one more chapter’ and then suddenly your an hour and a few chapters later and still reading. Unable to put it down. This one kept me up until 2am, then I forced myself to go to sleep because I was very tired. And that’s a very good thing, in a way. When a book keeps you up like that. It means it’s a pretty fantastic book.
I’ll admit the characters are a bit cliche and stereotype-ish. And the story is a bit predictable too. But I didn’t care! I just loved all of it so much. It doesn’t even count as a negative thing in this book. For me, it made it that much better. Olivia was so sweet and caring. Yeah she has a need to be perfect, but that’s because she was raised that way too. She has her flaws, but so does Zoey. They may be stereotypes and the story might be predictable, but they’re still very likeable and the story is amazing. I connected with both of them and I rooted for them. And the end was exactly what I wanted it to be!
No One Needs to Know is a swoon-worthy, romantic and fun contemporary book. It’s another great LGBT book that I loved and I would recommend it to everyone. I hope you all love it just as much as I did! And I’m going to keep my eye out for future books of this author!
February 20, 2020
I’ve been in a phase lately where I couldn’t connect to books and didn’t manage to finish them, but this I really liked. It’s sweet, short but still has a great build up since it focus mostly on the MCs. It doesn’t go very deep but I really liked this.
February 26, 2015
I think the entire story came to easy. The reason I like ya lgbt novels so much, or part of the reason anyway, is that the characters have so many conflicting emotions from confusion about how they are feeling, to worry about what others will say, to anxiety over Not knowing if the other person would feel the same, etc...... this story had none of that. Olivia just decided to kiss her then they laughed and that was that. Even though it was told in first person pov and we know that neither of them had been having that kind of feelings about each other until it happened. Then afterwords, all the potential problems that each character was facing just miraculously solved themselves. Zoeys mom got a job out of the blue, Olivia had a revelation about gymnastics that changed her life in half a page and threw her meds out, her brother wasnt upset so no one got hurt or had to make any tough decisions, Zooey forgives Olivia without even really talking to her because she stood up for her to ava, even though she already did that once already. Then it skips forward and they are living together but mentions doing it for the college experience so I'm not sure if anyone else knows they are more than roommates. What did Zooeys family think? Did Olivia tell her parents? Ava was looking like she was going to be a big problem and be mean to both and probably tell people if she found out because that's what kind of person she was but we have no idea if she did find out because like all the other problems with this book that one just magicly went away also. I was disappointed their story for class started out like it was maybe going to reflect their own relationship as they grew closer and intertwine with the story but we only heard a little about it and then they turned it in and where done with it. Then there is the issue of the brothers P.O.V. not being added to it and the fact that the synapses of the book draws you in thinking it is about a love triangle so you expect some drama and it ends up just focusing on two characters with very little emotion put into it, and it really wasn't a very good book. I feel like it was a good story, just shallow and poorly told.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. I guess you could call it a 'typical' lgbt high school romance, but I've noticed there seem to be less books about lesbians. So, I really enjoyed reading about the girls instead of my usual boy/boy fare.
This was not just a story about two girls finding each other, but it was also a romance from two very different socioeconomic backgrounds. It's this element of the book that really kept me engaged. Zoey attends the prestigious private school on scholarship and feels like she doesn't fit in. She has a reputation from her first year there, and she lets that keep her from engaging with other students. Olivia has a "fake" friendship really. She's best friends with a girl who really has no investment in her. Her twin brother is off having fun making his own way, and she feels left behind and alone. The way their lives become entangled and how their perceptions of each other evolve was captivating and sweet.
Overall, this is a good addition to the YA lgbt ranks, and I definitely recommend it.
This was not just a story about two girls finding each other, but it was also a romance from two very different socioeconomic backgrounds. It's this element of the book that really kept me engaged. Zoey attends the prestigious private school on scholarship and feels like she doesn't fit in. She has a reputation from her first year there, and she lets that keep her from engaging with other students. Olivia has a "fake" friendship really. She's best friends with a girl who really has no investment in her. Her twin brother is off having fun making his own way, and she feels left behind and alone. The way their lives become entangled and how their perceptions of each other evolve was captivating and sweet.
Overall, this is a good addition to the YA lgbt ranks, and I definitely recommend it.
July 6, 2014
No One Needs to Know surprised me. In a good way.
When you're about to read a book about teenagers and their first experiences with love, and not only does this book have a love triangle, but a love triangle involving siblings and two homosexual girls, well, you kind of expect a whole load of angst and drama. And you kind of brace yourself for all the tears, flip-flopping and indecisiveness. And, while No One Needs to Know isn't entirely free of all that, it's actually surprisingly light, positive and drama-free. And that's precisely what made me fell in love with this book - its simplicity and positive energy.
No One Needs to Know is about love and relationships. It's about the bond between siblings, the friendship that was supposed to be strong enough to last forever, and - most importantly - about discovering yourself, opening your heart to another person and allowing yourself to be loved. Even if that love comes from a place you never even considered possible.
To be honest, this book could have been about Zoe and Olivia alone. Olivia's brother, Liam, could have been easily edited out of the plot line. Sure, his presence there and the role he plays in this story adds a dramatic flare to the plot, but it's such a small, irrelevant flare, it didn't really have to be there at all. Zoe and Olivia are at the heart of this story and, really, you don't need anything else. It's all about these two completely different girls and the feelings they develop for each other. It's about their thoughts and emotions. About the decisions they're facing. It's all about them. And that is more than enough.
Grace's writing is something that I enjoy immensely. I loved her Dangerous Boy and Ripple (both written under her real name, Mandy Hubbard), and No One Needs To Know is just the same. The style is simple and straightforward. And very concise. I always find myself completely captivated by her stories and unable to break the spell and put the book down.
Overall, while No One Needs to Know might not be destined to become your new favorite, it still is a nicely written, charming, quick little read that should at least entertain you and bring a smile to your face. It's cute, it's exciting, it's enjoyable. It's not too sophisticated, or too profound, and it probably won't be a life-changing reading experience, but it's still a really great story and I'm glad I got a chance to read it.
I'm giving it 5 stars for two reasons : 1) It was captivating enough to keep me reading into the wee hours (and that is something that doesn't happen very often), and 2) I loved the heart-pounding chemistry between Liv and Zoe.
When you're about to read a book about teenagers and their first experiences with love, and not only does this book have a love triangle, but a love triangle involving siblings and two homosexual girls, well, you kind of expect a whole load of angst and drama. And you kind of brace yourself for all the tears, flip-flopping and indecisiveness. And, while No One Needs to Know isn't entirely free of all that, it's actually surprisingly light, positive and drama-free. And that's precisely what made me fell in love with this book - its simplicity and positive energy.
No One Needs to Know is about love and relationships. It's about the bond between siblings, the friendship that was supposed to be strong enough to last forever, and - most importantly - about discovering yourself, opening your heart to another person and allowing yourself to be loved. Even if that love comes from a place you never even considered possible.
To be honest, this book could have been about Zoe and Olivia alone. Olivia's brother, Liam, could have been easily edited out of the plot line. Sure, his presence there and the role he plays in this story adds a dramatic flare to the plot, but it's such a small, irrelevant flare, it didn't really have to be there at all. Zoe and Olivia are at the heart of this story and, really, you don't need anything else. It's all about these two completely different girls and the feelings they develop for each other. It's about their thoughts and emotions. About the decisions they're facing. It's all about them. And that is more than enough.
Grace's writing is something that I enjoy immensely. I loved her Dangerous Boy and Ripple (both written under her real name, Mandy Hubbard), and No One Needs To Know is just the same. The style is simple and straightforward. And very concise. I always find myself completely captivated by her stories and unable to break the spell and put the book down.
Overall, while No One Needs to Know might not be destined to become your new favorite, it still is a nicely written, charming, quick little read that should at least entertain you and bring a smile to your face. It's cute, it's exciting, it's enjoyable. It's not too sophisticated, or too profound, and it probably won't be a life-changing reading experience, but it's still a really great story and I'm glad I got a chance to read it.
I'm giving it 5 stars for two reasons : 1) It was captivating enough to keep me reading into the wee hours (and that is something that doesn't happen very often), and 2) I loved the heart-pounding chemistry between Liv and Zoe.
November 30, 2014
This book definitely had its cute moments and a great premise, but it felt more to me like an outline than an actual developed novel. The character development was never really there for me for any of the characters, nor was the chemistry between the two girls - they never felt like more to me than best friends who realized they liked kissing each other. I didn't have a problem with the "cheating," because obviously they're trying to figure themselves out, and throwing all their relationships into upheaval when they're still so tentative on understanding who they are and what they want seems like an unrealistic and unfair expectation on teens just realizing they're queer, but I did have an issue with being expected to believe Liam would care. He was painted as so flat and apathetic, with only the rarest moments of retroactive giving-a-crap, that I never bought his relationship with Olivia as being at stake over this.
In fact, none of the stakes in this relationship really felt like stakes at all - everything was resolved easily, with very, very few tough decisions and conversations actually needing to be made/had. And while I appreciate the fluidity of sexuality and the lightness of the book, it's really hard for me to believe that we got in the heads of both girls and neither one remotely angsted about what this meant for her sexual identity. (And speaking of being in the heads of both girls, except when their socioeconomic disparities were mentioned - something I actually liked a lot about the book - I constantly lost track of who was narrating. The fact that both of them had cute, trendy names didn't help because I honestly even forgot which one was Zoey and which one was Olivia multiple times.) The biggest killer to me was the epilogue. This was such a short book, and I think I could've liked it so much if it were truly fleshed out. I did read it in one sitting, so I rounded up from a 2.5 for that, but I wish I felt like it were more than a shadow of what it had potential to be.
In fact, none of the stakes in this relationship really felt like stakes at all - everything was resolved easily, with very, very few tough decisions and conversations actually needing to be made/had. And while I appreciate the fluidity of sexuality and the lightness of the book, it's really hard for me to believe that we got in the heads of both girls and neither one remotely angsted about what this meant for her sexual identity. (And speaking of being in the heads of both girls, except when their socioeconomic disparities were mentioned - something I actually liked a lot about the book - I constantly lost track of who was narrating. The fact that both of them had cute, trendy names didn't help because I honestly even forgot which one was Zoey and which one was Olivia multiple times.) The biggest killer to me was the epilogue. This was such a short book, and I think I could've liked it so much if it were truly fleshed out. I did read it in one sitting, so I rounded up from a 2.5 for that, but I wish I felt like it were more than a shadow of what it had potential to be.
February 22, 2020
4.5/5
- It’s so cliche in so many ways that it really shouldn’t work but it somehow amazingly does
- An underrated dynamic: two snarky bitches
- They’re both so easily likeable and you’re just immediately hooked bc thankfully this is dual POV
- There’s refreshingly no “talk” about their sexualities; labels can be helpful, hurtful, necessary and unnecessary all at the same time and in this case they just weren’t even part of the situation
- Literally no complaints
- Also I’ve never been so giddy to read the scene from the cover actually play out in the story omg
- It’s so cliche in so many ways that it really shouldn’t work but it somehow amazingly does
- An underrated dynamic: two snarky bitches
- They’re both so easily likeable and you’re just immediately hooked bc thankfully this is dual POV
- There’s refreshingly no “talk” about their sexualities; labels can be helpful, hurtful, necessary and unnecessary all at the same time and in this case they just weren’t even part of the situation
- Literally no complaints
- Also I’ve never been so giddy to read the scene from the cover actually play out in the story omg
March 5, 2019
Rating: 3.5
This was a sweet, short, contemporary novel about two girls going from hating each other to finding out they like each other. It was an easy read, and that was what I was looking for. It was nice to read a LGBTQ themed book without it being heavy. It was a simple, it was fun, it made me feel happy.
This was a sweet, short, contemporary novel about two girls going from hating each other to finding out they like each other. It was an easy read, and that was what I was looking for. It was nice to read a LGBTQ themed book without it being heavy. It was a simple, it was fun, it made me feel happy.
May 15, 2020
3.5 stars
July 19, 2016
I'm going to skip the summary and go straight to my thoughts.
I had a hard time rating this book. On the one hand, it was a light, rather cute, easy read about two girls who unexpectedly fall for one another. A lot of LGBT teen books can be pretty heavy, so it was rather refreshing to read one that wasn't. There weren't any huge scenes in which the main characters have a sexual identity crisis; both Olivia and Zoey just accepted that this is how they felt for one another, and that was fine. And I liked that. Not everything needs to be an angst fest. There are plenty of straight contemporary YA romances where everything is nice, light, and fluffy; why can't LGBT kids have some of those books, too?
On the other hand, though, I found myself wishing that there could be more. The book is short, and there wasn't a ton of emotional depth to any of the main characters. The touted "love triangle" wasn't much of a love triangle. And the ending was just too neatly wrapped up for my tastes.
Still...it wasn't a bad read. If you're looking for something fluffy without much angst or drama, I'd recommend this book.
I had a hard time rating this book. On the one hand, it was a light, rather cute, easy read about two girls who unexpectedly fall for one another. A lot of LGBT teen books can be pretty heavy, so it was rather refreshing to read one that wasn't. There weren't any huge scenes in which the main characters have a sexual identity crisis; both Olivia and Zoey just accepted that this is how they felt for one another, and that was fine. And I liked that. Not everything needs to be an angst fest. There are plenty of straight contemporary YA romances where everything is nice, light, and fluffy; why can't LGBT kids have some of those books, too?
On the other hand, though, I found myself wishing that there could be more. The book is short, and there wasn't a ton of emotional depth to any of the main characters. The touted "love triangle" wasn't much of a love triangle. And the ending was just too neatly wrapped up for my tastes.
Still...it wasn't a bad read. If you're looking for something fluffy without much angst or drama, I'd recommend this book.
December 2, 2014
DNF
Couldn't hold my interest.
To be fair, I think this suffered from comparison to Frenemy of the People, which I enjoyed a great deal more. The pacing is really slow, and I really struggled keeping track of which girl was talking. Their voices were so similar that they blended into one in my head. Honestly there needs to be a little more difference in lead characters than the "rich prude" and the "poor slut" to hold my interests. To say nothing of how uncomfortably sexist these tropes are. So tired of internalized misogyny in f/f novels. Of all places I should NOT have to deal with it in this genre. Ugh.
Also wasn't liking how it framed the poor girl's mother as shouldering the blame of their situation. Super gross and classist in tone ("poor people are only poor because they're lazy" NOPE!).
So I flounced.
Couldn't hold my interest.
To be fair, I think this suffered from comparison to Frenemy of the People, which I enjoyed a great deal more. The pacing is really slow, and I really struggled keeping track of which girl was talking. Their voices were so similar that they blended into one in my head. Honestly there needs to be a little more difference in lead characters than the "rich prude" and the "poor slut" to hold my interests. To say nothing of how uncomfortably sexist these tropes are. So tired of internalized misogyny in f/f novels. Of all places I should NOT have to deal with it in this genre. Ugh.
Also wasn't liking how it framed the poor girl's mother as shouldering the blame of their situation. Super gross and classist in tone ("poor people are only poor because they're lazy" NOPE!).
So I flounced.
May 31, 2016
Read this in a couple of hours. It was an easy read and I enjoyed the story even though I didn't like some parts of the plot. The relationship between Zoey and Olivia happened way too easily and I didn't like that there was no anxiety that the characters felt about who they were, discovering themselves and all that. Also, I didn't like that Liam accepted his sister's betrayal so easily... But overall it was an okay book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2019
Really enjoyable read
This is a young adult book and as such the whole thing has that teenage angst and discovery, but along with it a complexity of character and issues that really draws you in, feels real and as a result creates a range of emotions that come with such a solid plot.
Can definitely recommend.
This is a young adult book and as such the whole thing has that teenage angst and discovery, but along with it a complexity of character and issues that really draws you in, feels real and as a result creates a range of emotions that come with such a solid plot.
Can definitely recommend.
February 15, 2018
Quick and gentle read about two girls looking past each other's differences and appreciating each other's worth. The only glitch is that they fall for each other even though one of them is dating the other's brother. Oops. Read it in a few hours and enjoyed.
January 29, 2023
A mildly entertaining book about a girl who starts crushing on her twin brother’s girlfriend. It’s a love triangle that provides plenty of moments for some jealousy, drama, and secret intimacy. I have long outgrown reading about high school teenagers and their problems, but I had had this book on my to-read list for so long I figured I might as well read it now. While some of the dialogue is a little contrived, Olivia and Zoey, the two main characters, are likable enough as you get to know them, and as they get to know each other. Normally I hate cheating in books, but it wasn’t malicious here. Olivia’s brother Liam doesn’t commit to relationships and has a history of becoming infatuated with a girl for a few weeks and then moving on to the next one, and Zoey herself has no expectation of her relationship with Liam becoming serious, so Olivia and Zoey’s decision to follow their hearts without thinking about the consequences is at least a little bit more understandable (although that isn’t to say that I approve of cheating even in this case).
When Olivia and Liam take Zoey to their cabin for the weekend, they inform her that they have an outhouse because there is no plumbing. Keep in mind that Olivia and Liam are rich.
Zoey and Olivia are both experiencing same-sex attraction for the first time and their relationship with each other is their first same-sex relationship (and Olivia has never had a boyfriend before either). Unlike in most teen fiction books, however, there is no wrestling with homophobia, no internalised struggle with self-acceptance, and no big coming out scenes. Both characters seem to view their attraction to another girl as just a normal part of their lives—and I liked that. I wish more teen books would feature lesbian and gay relationships without making homophobia a big part of the plot.
As a last note, this book really needed better editing. There were so many typos and spelling errors I was a little appalled that this was a published book.
When Olivia and Liam take Zoey to their cabin for the weekend, they inform her that they have an outhouse because there is no plumbing. Keep in mind that Olivia and Liam are rich.
“Oh.” Yeah, definitely not what Zoey had expected, based on the way she looks like she’s trying not to cringe. “Does it at least have electricity?”This is the most unrealistic thing in the entire book. Nobody who had the means would refuse to install toilets in their beloved summer getaway home out of sentimentality for taking a dump in an outhouse. Does the author have any idea how bad outhouses smell??
I snicker. “Yes. We didn’t go back in time or anything. But my mom refuses to let my dad upgrade this place. She said she grew up out here, every summer. She wants it to feel like it always did.”
Zoey and Olivia are both experiencing same-sex attraction for the first time and their relationship with each other is their first same-sex relationship (and Olivia has never had a boyfriend before either). Unlike in most teen fiction books, however, there is no wrestling with homophobia, no internalised struggle with self-acceptance, and no big coming out scenes. Both characters seem to view their attraction to another girl as just a normal part of their lives—and I liked that. I wish more teen books would feature lesbian and gay relationships without making homophobia a big part of the plot.
As a last note, this book really needed better editing. There were so many typos and spelling errors I was a little appalled that this was a published book.
February 22, 2022
It was a cute quick read, but I wanted a bit more drama. Olivia and Zoey start of as enemies and then Zoey starts seeing Olivia's brother and I loved their banter. The first 65% of the book was really enjoyable, but the rest lacked... everything? I wanted a bit more drama between Liam, Olivia & Zoey, but everything resolved pretty quickly in my opinion. The characters lacked depth. I wanted to know more about Olivia's struggle with her anxiety, loneliness, stress & the pills. To make her more real. I also wanted some more depth from Zoey. I felt like her whole personality was just about being poor. Also the way Olivia kept pressuring Zoey to be with Liam, like it's her decision at all and Zoey just being okay with it, like the relationship between Liam and Zoey has nothing to do with Olivia. If Zoey wanted to break up with him , she should've, not wait around for OLIVIA TO TELL HER OWN BROTHER HER GIRLFRIEND IS BREAKING UP WITH HIM
LIKE WHAT?? I don't know but I felt like something else was missing that could've made the whole story a lot better.
I still liked it though, even if it was a bit messy and towards the end, disappointing.
LIKE WHAT?? I don't know but I felt like something else was missing that could've made the whole story a lot better.
I still liked it though, even if it was a bit messy and towards the end, disappointing.
November 22, 2017
I was a bit apprehensive going in to this, but it turned out to be a sort of sweet romantic queer YA novel. It exceeded my expectations for sure.
May 5, 2020
*4.5!!!
July 4, 2020
Awww... this was a sweet story.
March 27, 2020
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
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