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Lover Birds
With an irresistible enemies-to-lovers romance, and perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Becky Albertalli, Lover Birds is a beautifully-written, inclusive and heart-pounding romance – a modern-day, Queer Pride and Prejudice.
She’s still Darci, but she trusted me enough to let me mess up her pretty dress, so there’s got to be some hope for her. Some hope for us, maybe, to be friends. Not just friends by proximity, or friendly rivals. Real friends. Friends that get to laugh when the other falls down and know it won’t hurt their feelings. Friends that get to tease and call each other out and know there isn’t any real resentment bubbling behind the words. Friends who get to mess each other up a little and still receive big, beaming, heart-stopping smiles in response. It’s almost embarrassing how much I want that to be true. How quickly I can turn from complete loathing to whatever this is.
When Darci Williams moves to Liverpool, she criticises seemingly everything in Eloise Byrne’s life — her city, her accent, her trademark boldness. So if, when she catches Darci staring, Eloise feels her pulse race, it must be because they hate each other. It surely couldn’t be for any other reason, could it?
Eloise Byrne needs to get her ADHD under control in time for A-Levels, but when she meets the beautiful but snobbish Darci Williams, school becomes the least of her concerns. What begins as outright contempt turns into an oddly satisfactory rivalry, but for their rivalry to shift further into romance, their relationship must withstand Darci’s classism, Eloise’s distrust, and whatever secrets their friends are hiding from them.
She’s still Darci, but she trusted me enough to let me mess up her pretty dress, so there’s got to be some hope for her. Some hope for us, maybe, to be friends. Not just friends by proximity, or friendly rivals. Real friends. Friends that get to laugh when the other falls down and know it won’t hurt their feelings. Friends that get to tease and call each other out and know there isn’t any real resentment bubbling behind the words. Friends who get to mess each other up a little and still receive big, beaming, heart-stopping smiles in response. It’s almost embarrassing how much I want that to be true. How quickly I can turn from complete loathing to whatever this is.
When Darci Williams moves to Liverpool, she criticises seemingly everything in Eloise Byrne’s life — her city, her accent, her trademark boldness. So if, when she catches Darci staring, Eloise feels her pulse race, it must be because they hate each other. It surely couldn’t be for any other reason, could it?
Eloise Byrne needs to get her ADHD under control in time for A-Levels, but when she meets the beautiful but snobbish Darci Williams, school becomes the least of her concerns. What begins as outright contempt turns into an oddly satisfactory rivalry, but for their rivalry to shift further into romance, their relationship must withstand Darci’s classism, Eloise’s distrust, and whatever secrets their friends are hiding from them.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 4, 2024
118 people are currently reading
4295 people want to read
About the author
Leon Egan
2 books69 followersLeon Egan (he/they) is a trans author from Liverpool. Shortly after graduating from an MA in Publishing, the world fell apart, so mostly he’s just been getting a lot of writing done. Leon is the writer and producer of scripted fiction podcast Tell No Tales and their debut YA novel Lover Birds published in 2024.
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September 2, 2025
I’m on BookTube now! =)
”I reckon that might make me officially, entirely batshit insane. But I want steely glares and poorly suppressed smirks. I want fire and rage and whatever it is that’s making my breathing shallow and my pulse race right now. I want more of that.”
Trigger warnings:
I wasn’t lying when I wrote down my first reaction after finishing “Lover Birds” and told you that this was going to be a difficult review to write. There’s a lot I loved about this book and it was one of those stories you have to digest slowly to take it all in. For instance, I really loved the friendships and the family vibes this book gave off! Eloise has ADHD but her friends accept her exactly the way she is and her mum is doing an amazing job of raising and being there for her daughter whenever she needs her. I loved Lou’s mum to bits and pieces and she always found the right words to support her child! I think her and Aaron Bell (“The Extraordinaries” by T.J. Klune) are the only two parents I ever read about in books, who have kids with ADHD and support them exactly the way they need it. ADHD rep is still very rare in stories, but I’m glad that more and more authors include it in their books. It’s important to see yourself represented and I’m sure some people who have ADHD will read this book and feel seen, valued and accepted.
”Two days of real productivity is better than seven days of not quite working, not quite resting. Also, while you revise, read it out loud. It helps if you’ve been feeling understimulated. And you could run or cycle to school. If you exercise right before working, it helps avoid restlessness.” She looks really proud of herself. “I’ve been on the Reddit,” she adds.
Have I mentioned how much I love her?
For Lou to focus on things isn’t easy and since she refuses to take medicine her ADHD sometimes takes over control. It was nice to see that she had such a solid support system around her, though, and no matter if it was her friends, her mum or even her teacher Ms Price, they all took Eloise’s struggles in stride. As for her relationship with Isabel. Well, that’s the point of the book that didn’t convince me as much. Maybe it’s because we only get Lou’s POV throughout the entire book or maybe it was the fact that she had a hard time accepting Eloise the way she is? I don’t know, maybe it was both, but I got the feeling that Isabel was not okay with Lou having ADHD because the things that riled her the most about her were exactly those parts she couldn’t control.
”Well, yes,” she continues after a moment, “but it’s like somebody forgot to tell her that sometimes it’s okay to just not speak. It’s – it’s allowed. You can actually stop talking and that’s fine. And that’s not even taking into consideration the fact that I could barely understand her. It surely can’t be that hard to tone down your accent just a tiny bit, make it a little less … difficult.”
I mean I totally understand that Eloise took offense after hearing those words. Isabel doesn’t only sound very stuck-up but also like she has no regard for people’s individuality and nature. I guess it didn’t help that Isabel came from an extremely rich background and kinda considered herself to be better than Lou and her friends. And I guess this, right there, is the main issue I had with this Sapphic “Pride and Prejudice” retelling. In the original, Darcy says and does stupid things because he’s socially awkward and doesn’t know how to express his feelings. He just doesn’t know how to tell Elisabeth about his emotions and that comes off as snobbish, and like he looks down on her, even though it’s not true. With Isabel, I always had the feeling that she truly thinks she’s better than Lou and that she actually believed the things she said. She didn’t put her foot in her mouth because she was socially awkward but because she really believed what she said.
”Oh, which part didn't you like? The part about you being rich, or the part about you being stuck-up? Because you've made it perfectly clear you're not ashamed of either of them."
She twitches. "I don't need to be rich to be better than you, Eloise."
"Oh, we're just saying the quiet part out loud now, are we?"
Of course, we get plenty of hints that Isabel doesn’t like the attention of others and therefore is embarrassed by Lou’s loud character and nature. But that’s exactly the crux of the matter. Isabel hates to be in the centre of things and Lou always is the heart of the party. I know plenty of people will say that opposites attract but I personally think that you have to find a middle ground that works for both in order to make it work. And despite them becoming a couple I don’t see that happening anytime soon. So yeah, the book had some sort of HEA but I didn’t buy it and for me it’s just a matter of time before their conflicts surface again. Which is the reason their love story didn’t really work out for me. Everything felt very unresolved. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Not to mention that Isabel’s aunt Catherine was an insufferable piece of work and that her friends from back home were basically the same. >_<
”There’s no just, Isabel. Do I embarrass you or not?”
And the pause is enough. The tense silence after I finish speaking is enough to make it feel as if a hole has opened up under me and wrenched the world out from beneath me.
“Yes,” she murmurs eventually.
I think in order to make this relationship work Isabel’s character would have to turn about 180° and that’s just not how relationships work on the long run. Well, maybe I’m just a pessimistic little sh*t, but that’s the way I see it and why I wasn’t able to buy into their romance a 100%. Which raises the question: Have I become too realistic to enjoy romances? Maybe, maybe not. I guess we’ll find out by me continuing to read them. Anyway! That’s neither here nor there so let’s move on and return back to this review.
”I know that, she knows it, but she’s flawed. I know that about her, and I love her. I reacted badly, flipped, froze her out for a while. But I’m flawed, too. We’re both hurting, and we can’t seem to come back from it, but that’s what we do. We come back from it. We’re supposed to be the same.”
What I really loved were the close friendships and even though there were conflicts, the characters always tried to solve them. Lou is part of a very tight-knit friend group and they all have their flaws and problems but they stick together like glue. And even when things get really bad between them their solidarity and loyalty won’t allow them to leave each other behind. Especially the bond between Lily and Eloise suffers throughout the book and it takes them some time to figure things out. Considering the path Lily took that’s not surprising, though, but I think their reconciliation was realistic and felt real. The author really took their time to play this out and I appreciated that immensely.
”I’ll happily spend hours picking each individual grain of rice out of my sheets later because, right now, all overthinking seems to be entirely abandoned. Right now, Isabel’s kissing me with purpose. With ragged breaths stolen between kisses that we draw from each other in fierce, hungry lunges.
So yeah, there was a lot I liked about this story, but it also had some parts that weren’t able to persuade me. Mainly the romance between the two MCs. I liked their soft moments but there weren’t enough of them to make me see them as a couple in the future. I suppose the simple fact that the main conflict between the two FMCs felt unresolved until the very last page didn’t help to convince me either. I’m sorry but it is the way it is.
”Mum? Am I too much?”
She hesitates for a moment before she wraps me up in her arms.
“Yes,” she says eventually, and I do look over at her then, my face warped in horror, but she’s smiling. “I love that about you. It is always better to be too much than not enough.”
Conclusion:
All told, I enjoyed reading “Lover Birds”! The fact it played in Liverpool and the great friendships as well as the amazing relationship between Lou and her mum really caused me to pull for the main character. Unfortunately, I wasn’t entirely on board of the budding sapphic relationship between the two protagonists. Maybe it would have helped to have Isabel’s POV? I dunno. The ADHD rep and Lou’s thoughts and feelings about taking medication were on point, though, and I really liked that part and focus of the book. For me it’s 3,5 stars and I stand by that rating. ;-)
”I’m not flawless. Nobody is. Everybody has some major fault.”
“And yours is to dislike pretty much everyone?”
The twitch becomes a definite smile then.
______________________________
This was pretty good and kinda surprised me.
I loved the family vibes, but I didn’t connect as much with the characters as I’d have liked to. If that makes any sense?
Well, I guess I’ll try to put this into proper words. XD
RTC soon! Stay tuned! This is going to be a difficult one.
_______________________________
When I saw “Lover Birds” at my library, I had to borrow it!
I never heard of this book before so it’s kind of a wildcard, but it sounds soo good! I mean we have:
- a Sapphic rep
- enemies-to-lovers
- an ADHD rep
- Liverpool as a setting
- “Pride and Prejudice” retelling vibes!
I’m so curious about this one! Wish me luck! *fingers crossed*
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”I reckon that might make me officially, entirely batshit insane. But I want steely glares and poorly suppressed smirks. I want fire and rage and whatever it is that’s making my breathing shallow and my pulse race right now. I want more of that.”
Trigger warnings:
I wasn’t lying when I wrote down my first reaction after finishing “Lover Birds” and told you that this was going to be a difficult review to write. There’s a lot I loved about this book and it was one of those stories you have to digest slowly to take it all in. For instance, I really loved the friendships and the family vibes this book gave off! Eloise has ADHD but her friends accept her exactly the way she is and her mum is doing an amazing job of raising and being there for her daughter whenever she needs her. I loved Lou’s mum to bits and pieces and she always found the right words to support her child! I think her and Aaron Bell (“The Extraordinaries” by T.J. Klune) are the only two parents I ever read about in books, who have kids with ADHD and support them exactly the way they need it. ADHD rep is still very rare in stories, but I’m glad that more and more authors include it in their books. It’s important to see yourself represented and I’m sure some people who have ADHD will read this book and feel seen, valued and accepted.
”Two days of real productivity is better than seven days of not quite working, not quite resting. Also, while you revise, read it out loud. It helps if you’ve been feeling understimulated. And you could run or cycle to school. If you exercise right before working, it helps avoid restlessness.” She looks really proud of herself. “I’ve been on the Reddit,” she adds.
Have I mentioned how much I love her?
For Lou to focus on things isn’t easy and since she refuses to take medicine her ADHD sometimes takes over control. It was nice to see that she had such a solid support system around her, though, and no matter if it was her friends, her mum or even her teacher Ms Price, they all took Eloise’s struggles in stride. As for her relationship with Isabel. Well, that’s the point of the book that didn’t convince me as much. Maybe it’s because we only get Lou’s POV throughout the entire book or maybe it was the fact that she had a hard time accepting Eloise the way she is? I don’t know, maybe it was both, but I got the feeling that Isabel was not okay with Lou having ADHD because the things that riled her the most about her were exactly those parts she couldn’t control.
”Well, yes,” she continues after a moment, “but it’s like somebody forgot to tell her that sometimes it’s okay to just not speak. It’s – it’s allowed. You can actually stop talking and that’s fine. And that’s not even taking into consideration the fact that I could barely understand her. It surely can’t be that hard to tone down your accent just a tiny bit, make it a little less … difficult.”
I mean I totally understand that Eloise took offense after hearing those words. Isabel doesn’t only sound very stuck-up but also like she has no regard for people’s individuality and nature. I guess it didn’t help that Isabel came from an extremely rich background and kinda considered herself to be better than Lou and her friends. And I guess this, right there, is the main issue I had with this Sapphic “Pride and Prejudice” retelling. In the original, Darcy says and does stupid things because he’s socially awkward and doesn’t know how to express his feelings. He just doesn’t know how to tell Elisabeth about his emotions and that comes off as snobbish, and like he looks down on her, even though it’s not true. With Isabel, I always had the feeling that she truly thinks she’s better than Lou and that she actually believed the things she said. She didn’t put her foot in her mouth because she was socially awkward but because she really believed what she said.
”Oh, which part didn't you like? The part about you being rich, or the part about you being stuck-up? Because you've made it perfectly clear you're not ashamed of either of them."
She twitches. "I don't need to be rich to be better than you, Eloise."
"Oh, we're just saying the quiet part out loud now, are we?"
Of course, we get plenty of hints that Isabel doesn’t like the attention of others and therefore is embarrassed by Lou’s loud character and nature. But that’s exactly the crux of the matter. Isabel hates to be in the centre of things and Lou always is the heart of the party. I know plenty of people will say that opposites attract but I personally think that you have to find a middle ground that works for both in order to make it work. And despite them becoming a couple I don’t see that happening anytime soon. So yeah, the book had some sort of HEA but I didn’t buy it and for me it’s just a matter of time before their conflicts surface again. Which is the reason their love story didn’t really work out for me. Everything felt very unresolved. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Not to mention that Isabel’s aunt Catherine was an insufferable piece of work and that her friends from back home were basically the same. >_<
”There’s no just, Isabel. Do I embarrass you or not?”
And the pause is enough. The tense silence after I finish speaking is enough to make it feel as if a hole has opened up under me and wrenched the world out from beneath me.
“Yes,” she murmurs eventually.
I think in order to make this relationship work Isabel’s character would have to turn about 180° and that’s just not how relationships work on the long run. Well, maybe I’m just a pessimistic little sh*t, but that’s the way I see it and why I wasn’t able to buy into their romance a 100%. Which raises the question: Have I become too realistic to enjoy romances? Maybe, maybe not. I guess we’ll find out by me continuing to read them. Anyway! That’s neither here nor there so let’s move on and return back to this review.
”I know that, she knows it, but she’s flawed. I know that about her, and I love her. I reacted badly, flipped, froze her out for a while. But I’m flawed, too. We’re both hurting, and we can’t seem to come back from it, but that’s what we do. We come back from it. We’re supposed to be the same.”
What I really loved were the close friendships and even though there were conflicts, the characters always tried to solve them. Lou is part of a very tight-knit friend group and they all have their flaws and problems but they stick together like glue. And even when things get really bad between them their solidarity and loyalty won’t allow them to leave each other behind. Especially the bond between Lily and Eloise suffers throughout the book and it takes them some time to figure things out. Considering the path Lily took that’s not surprising, though, but I think their reconciliation was realistic and felt real. The author really took their time to play this out and I appreciated that immensely.
”I’ll happily spend hours picking each individual grain of rice out of my sheets later because, right now, all overthinking seems to be entirely abandoned. Right now, Isabel’s kissing me with purpose. With ragged breaths stolen between kisses that we draw from each other in fierce, hungry lunges.
So yeah, there was a lot I liked about this story, but it also had some parts that weren’t able to persuade me. Mainly the romance between the two MCs. I liked their soft moments but there weren’t enough of them to make me see them as a couple in the future. I suppose the simple fact that the main conflict between the two FMCs felt unresolved until the very last page didn’t help to convince me either. I’m sorry but it is the way it is.
”Mum? Am I too much?”
She hesitates for a moment before she wraps me up in her arms.
“Yes,” she says eventually, and I do look over at her then, my face warped in horror, but she’s smiling. “I love that about you. It is always better to be too much than not enough.”
Conclusion:
All told, I enjoyed reading “Lover Birds”! The fact it played in Liverpool and the great friendships as well as the amazing relationship between Lou and her mum really caused me to pull for the main character. Unfortunately, I wasn’t entirely on board of the budding sapphic relationship between the two protagonists. Maybe it would have helped to have Isabel’s POV? I dunno. The ADHD rep and Lou’s thoughts and feelings about taking medication were on point, though, and I really liked that part and focus of the book. For me it’s 3,5 stars and I stand by that rating. ;-)
”I’m not flawless. Nobody is. Everybody has some major fault.”
“And yours is to dislike pretty much everyone?”
The twitch becomes a definite smile then.
______________________________
This was pretty good and kinda surprised me.
I loved the family vibes, but I didn’t connect as much with the characters as I’d have liked to. If that makes any sense?
Well, I guess I’ll try to put this into proper words. XD
RTC soon! Stay tuned! This is going to be a difficult one.
_______________________________
When I saw “Lover Birds” at my library, I had to borrow it!
I never heard of this book before so it’s kind of a wildcard, but it sounds soo good! I mean we have:
- a Sapphic rep
- enemies-to-lovers
- an ADHD rep
- Liverpool as a setting
- “Pride and Prejudice” retelling vibes!
I’m so curious about this one! Wish me luck! *fingers crossed*
Find me on:
My Blog
June 25, 2024
this sapphic pride and prejudice retelling as a modern YA romance set in Liverpool may be one of the best modern pride and prejudice retellings I've read!
I loved the relationship between Lou (aka Lizzy) and Isabel (aka Mr Darcy)! The way the pride and prejudice aspect of their relationship was handled but with a modern twist was so so good! The setting in Liverpool also felt very real and interwoven with the story with the wlw enemies to lovers relationship between posh rich southerner Isabel and working class Liverpudlian Lou.
Although I miss some of the characters cut in this retelling, I do think that this story really worked and I really enjoyed how some of the subplots that wouldn't have worked in a modern retelling were cut and replaced with Lou's ADHD subplot. The way ADHD was presented and the discussion around ADHD medication and the very real hesitation some people feel about taking it was great to see and I think that Lou's journey to accepting her ADHD diagnosis was such great representation!
Overall, I really enjoyed this and it was a brilliant lesbian YA romance and such a great modernised adaptation of Pride and Prejudice!
Character equivalents:
• Elizabeth "Lizzy" Bennet - Elouise "Lou" Byrne
• Fitz William Darcy - Isabel "Iz" Williams
• Jane Bennet - Jas (Lou's school friend)
• Mary Bennet - Mel (Lou's school friend)
• Lydia Bennet - Lily (Lou's school friend)
• Kitty Bennet - Katie (Lou's school friend)
• Charles Bingley - Benji Williams (Isabel's brother) / Wil (Isabel's friend from London)
• Caroline Bingley - Caroline (Isabel's friend from London)
• George Wickham - Jay Henno (Lou's ex boyfriend)
• Lady Catherine de Bourgh - Catherine (Isabel's aunt)
• Mr Bennet - Lou's mum / Lou's teacher Ms Price
• Georgiana Darcy - Benji Williams (Isabel's brother)
• Not present - Mrs Bennet, Charlotte Lucas, Mr Collins, Mr Gardiner, Mrs Gardiner
Thank you to Harper Fire books for a proof copy of this book!
I loved the relationship between Lou (aka Lizzy) and Isabel (aka Mr Darcy)! The way the pride and prejudice aspect of their relationship was handled but with a modern twist was so so good! The setting in Liverpool also felt very real and interwoven with the story with the wlw enemies to lovers relationship between posh rich southerner Isabel and working class Liverpudlian Lou.
Although I miss some of the characters cut in this retelling, I do think that this story really worked and I really enjoyed how some of the subplots that wouldn't have worked in a modern retelling were cut and replaced with Lou's ADHD subplot. The way ADHD was presented and the discussion around ADHD medication and the very real hesitation some people feel about taking it was great to see and I think that Lou's journey to accepting her ADHD diagnosis was such great representation!
Overall, I really enjoyed this and it was a brilliant lesbian YA romance and such a great modernised adaptation of Pride and Prejudice!
Character equivalents:
• Elizabeth "Lizzy" Bennet - Elouise "Lou" Byrne
• Fitz William Darcy - Isabel "Iz" Williams
• Jane Bennet - Jas (Lou's school friend)
• Mary Bennet - Mel (Lou's school friend)
• Lydia Bennet - Lily (Lou's school friend)
• Kitty Bennet - Katie (Lou's school friend)
• Charles Bingley - Benji Williams (Isabel's brother) / Wil (Isabel's friend from London)
• Caroline Bingley - Caroline (Isabel's friend from London)
• George Wickham - Jay Henno (Lou's ex boyfriend)
• Lady Catherine de Bourgh - Catherine (Isabel's aunt)
• Mr Bennet - Lou's mum / Lou's teacher Ms Price
• Georgiana Darcy - Benji Williams (Isabel's brother)
• Not present - Mrs Bennet, Charlotte Lucas, Mr Collins, Mr Gardiner, Mrs Gardiner
Thank you to Harper Fire books for a proof copy of this book!
May 4, 2024
LOVED this YA sapphic romance. Honestly the quintessential UK public school expirience.
Everything about this had me smiling. The slight hint of academic rivalry, the hate to love trope, the neurodivergent rep and conversations around medication.
Honestly I loved this. The humour was brilliant too and had me laughing the whole way through.
This is a great read if you want something that’s not too heavy and feels pretty uplifting.
Rep// ADHD Sapphic MC, Lesbian MC, Sapphic SCs, Non Binary SC (they/them) Romance featured is sapphic / wlw.
Set in: UK (Liverpool.)
TW’s listed below.
TW// sexual harassment, homophobia and homophobic slurs (lesbo, lezza), alcohol, themes surrounding ADHD medication, coming out themes.
Everything about this had me smiling. The slight hint of academic rivalry, the hate to love trope, the neurodivergent rep and conversations around medication.
Honestly I loved this. The humour was brilliant too and had me laughing the whole way through.
This is a great read if you want something that’s not too heavy and feels pretty uplifting.
Rep// ADHD Sapphic MC, Lesbian MC, Sapphic SCs, Non Binary SC (they/them) Romance featured is sapphic / wlw.
Set in: UK (Liverpool.)
TW’s listed below.
TW// sexual harassment, homophobia and homophobic slurs (lesbo, lezza), alcohol, themes surrounding ADHD medication, coming out themes.
August 21, 2024
*Thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this!*
After a reading week full of what can only be described as the most depressing books ever written, I needed this book so badly. It was such a refreshing palette cleanser, and was just an absolute joy to experience all round. If you’re looking for an uplifting, light, sapphic enemies to lovers story that’s also so much more than that; you’ll hit the jackpot with this. I’d also highly recommend the audiobook, having a scouse narrator tell this story is really the cherry on top.
This was so fast paced I devoured it in literally two sittings. I wasn’t planning on reading 70% of it in a day, but I found once I was in the thick of it I didn’t want to put it down. Though it’s a romance book, I also think we need to give some props to how well done the depiction of friendship was in here too, because I absolutely loved the way it was handled. We have such a realistic portrayal of the messiness of a very tight knit group of female friends trying to navigate each other, their personal lives, and the stressors of school. It was really nostalgic and just absolutely spot on for a group of young British girls.
I really liked that though this was a queer romance, it wasn’t centred around coming out and finding yourself and acceptance. There’s a brief moment where Eloise glosses over it because she thought she was only ever attracted to men, but it didn’t seem like a big deal. Not that those stories aren’t just as important; but I loved how accepting and chill everyone felt in this book. She had a wonderful group of friends, and a very supportive and uplifting family that meant regardless of the chaos going on, they were always there which was lovely to read. Eloise herself was such a bundle of joy and a great character to follow, her openness about her struggles with ADHD as well were a brilliant addition to the storyline.
One thing that did hold the romance back at times for me was the character of Isabelle herself. She is very judgemental, and polar opposite to Eloise, so she comes across initially as so stuck up and quite egotistical and holier-than-thou in her attitude which I didn’t vibe with. This does sort of dissipate as the book goes on, but it’s still very present even nearing the end chapters and I don’t feel her redemption arc was strong enough for me. It was sad to see Eloise at points be so open and bubbly and happy, only for Isabelle to knock her down a little and dull her sparkle. They were still super cute together and I think they had amazing chemistry so I was able to brush it off for the most part, but I wish it would have been a tiny bit less intense.
If you’re in the market for a very cute and chaotic coming of age queer romance, championed by a protagonist whose very open about her struggles with ADHD this was chef's kiss.
After a reading week full of what can only be described as the most depressing books ever written, I needed this book so badly. It was such a refreshing palette cleanser, and was just an absolute joy to experience all round. If you’re looking for an uplifting, light, sapphic enemies to lovers story that’s also so much more than that; you’ll hit the jackpot with this. I’d also highly recommend the audiobook, having a scouse narrator tell this story is really the cherry on top.
This was so fast paced I devoured it in literally two sittings. I wasn’t planning on reading 70% of it in a day, but I found once I was in the thick of it I didn’t want to put it down. Though it’s a romance book, I also think we need to give some props to how well done the depiction of friendship was in here too, because I absolutely loved the way it was handled. We have such a realistic portrayal of the messiness of a very tight knit group of female friends trying to navigate each other, their personal lives, and the stressors of school. It was really nostalgic and just absolutely spot on for a group of young British girls.
I really liked that though this was a queer romance, it wasn’t centred around coming out and finding yourself and acceptance. There’s a brief moment where Eloise glosses over it because she thought she was only ever attracted to men, but it didn’t seem like a big deal. Not that those stories aren’t just as important; but I loved how accepting and chill everyone felt in this book. She had a wonderful group of friends, and a very supportive and uplifting family that meant regardless of the chaos going on, they were always there which was lovely to read. Eloise herself was such a bundle of joy and a great character to follow, her openness about her struggles with ADHD as well were a brilliant addition to the storyline.
One thing that did hold the romance back at times for me was the character of Isabelle herself. She is very judgemental, and polar opposite to Eloise, so she comes across initially as so stuck up and quite egotistical and holier-than-thou in her attitude which I didn’t vibe with. This does sort of dissipate as the book goes on, but it’s still very present even nearing the end chapters and I don’t feel her redemption arc was strong enough for me. It was sad to see Eloise at points be so open and bubbly and happy, only for Isabelle to knock her down a little and dull her sparkle. They were still super cute together and I think they had amazing chemistry so I was able to brush it off for the most part, but I wish it would have been a tiny bit less intense.
If you’re in the market for a very cute and chaotic coming of age queer romance, championed by a protagonist whose very open about her struggles with ADHD this was chef's kiss.
November 28, 2024
I knew I was getting an enemies-to-lovers YA romance set in Liverpool. But I didn’t know I was getting a very loose adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, which, if you’ve read any of my reviews, you may be aware it’s one of my two favourite novels that I try to read it annually. I was hooked on Lover Birds after that discovery, honestly. And, for the most part, it didn’t disappoint.
What you’ll also get in Lover Birds is one of the best explorations of ADHD I’ve seen in a novel.
My personal favourite thing about this novel is Leanne Egan’s ability to describe Isabel’s embarrassment, which is constant. It was f*cking adorable.
Lover Birds was almost a perfect novel for me, mostly because I loved how she interpreted Pride and Prejudice. It was just enough of a nod to the novel that I knew what to expect, but there’s enough here that’s unique to this story, to these characters in this time and in this setting that made it feel unique, too. So there were moments I was happily surprised by.
It loses some points because I didn’t devour it until I got to 50% mark, at which point I didn’t put it down. And I’m not sure why I would put it down only 10-15 minutes into a reading session, but I did. I also didn’t like how quickly BIG feelings happen in this novel. Egan does a good job of delaying this within the story, but when the tell-me-when-you-fell-in-love-with-me conversations happen, the timeline is super suspect. I know that’s typical for teenagers, but, also, they’re teenagers.
What you’ll also get in Lover Birds is one of the best explorations of ADHD I’ve seen in a novel.
My personal favourite thing about this novel is Leanne Egan’s ability to describe Isabel’s embarrassment, which is constant. It was f*cking adorable.
Lover Birds was almost a perfect novel for me, mostly because I loved how she interpreted Pride and Prejudice. It was just enough of a nod to the novel that I knew what to expect, but there’s enough here that’s unique to this story, to these characters in this time and in this setting that made it feel unique, too. So there were moments I was happily surprised by.
It loses some points because I didn’t devour it until I got to 50% mark, at which point I didn’t put it down. And I’m not sure why I would put it down only 10-15 minutes into a reading session, but I did. I also didn’t like how quickly BIG feelings happen in this novel. Egan does a good job of delaying this within the story, but when the tell-me-when-you-fell-in-love-with-me conversations happen, the timeline is super suspect. I know that’s typical for teenagers, but, also, they’re teenagers.
July 19, 2024
Content warnings: lesbophobia and lesbophobic slurs (lesbo, lezza), alcohol consumption/underage drinking, sexual harrassment, coming out themes, ADHD medication talk.
Rep: Lou (MC) is cis, sapphic (gay used on page, but definitely lesbian coded), white, and has ADHD. Isabel (LI) is cis, white, lesbian. Side queer characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It's more like 4.5 stars, but I've rounded it up because yes.
This was such a wonderfully teenage book.
Lou, who has ADHD, and is trying her best at everything, finds herself in a bit of a fremeny situation with the new girl, Isabel. They rub each other up the wrong way, and Lou loves the banter and verbal sparring between the two.
Of course, it finally develops into more, and it was just so darn sweet to read.
I loved Lou's personality, and how her ADHD affected her whole life. It was definitely a fast paced story, I expected no less, and it kept me very entertained.
I adored the outings that Lou and Isabel went on as well - they were so cute togther.
I just really loved this one.
Rep: Lou (MC) is cis, sapphic (gay used on page, but definitely lesbian coded), white, and has ADHD. Isabel (LI) is cis, white, lesbian. Side queer characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It's more like 4.5 stars, but I've rounded it up because yes.
This was such a wonderfully teenage book.
Lou, who has ADHD, and is trying her best at everything, finds herself in a bit of a fremeny situation with the new girl, Isabel. They rub each other up the wrong way, and Lou loves the banter and verbal sparring between the two.
Of course, it finally develops into more, and it was just so darn sweet to read.
I loved Lou's personality, and how her ADHD affected her whole life. It was definitely a fast paced story, I expected no less, and it kept me very entertained.
I adored the outings that Lou and Isabel went on as well - they were so cute togther.
I just really loved this one.
September 10, 2024
This book felt like a sapphic version of Heartstopper, if a tiny bit snarkier and messier (in a good way!) 😊
There were perhaps a few too many instances of convenient eavesdropping, and some storylines were a little predictable, or not resolved 100% satisfyingly.
However, the book made up for these things by being incredibly sweet, big-hearted, and simply a lot of fun! It did also manage to pull at my heartstrings (tears were shed).
In addition, the central conflict and the ADHD rep felt believeable and thoughtfully written.
On a sidenote, I think calling this book an enemies-to-lovers romance, is reducing it to something it isn't (it's called BANTER! or tension... or just people overcoming their prejudices...)
Last, but not least, I have to mention that the audiobook was read in Scouse! That alone makes this book worth listening too, in my opinion😁🥰
There were perhaps a few too many instances of convenient eavesdropping, and some storylines were a little predictable, or not resolved 100% satisfyingly.
However, the book made up for these things by being incredibly sweet, big-hearted, and simply a lot of fun! It did also manage to pull at my heartstrings (tears were shed).
In addition, the central conflict and the ADHD rep felt believeable and thoughtfully written.
On a sidenote, I think calling this book an enemies-to-lovers romance, is reducing it to something it isn't (it's called BANTER! or tension... or just people overcoming their prejudices...)
Last, but not least, I have to mention that the audiobook was read in Scouse! That alone makes this book worth listening too, in my opinion😁🥰
July 25, 2024
Such a beautifully written book that made me cry due to the accuracy of the themes relating to my life. Leanne had done an incredible job depicting an unmedicated neurodivergent brain, and the painful emotions of battling our brains that convince us we are too much for others to love. Lou figuring out her feelings for another girl when previously unaware of her attraction to women, will be so comforting to all the queer teen readers (and adults like me!) who are trying to come to terms with new and sometimes scary revelations of their sexuality. Lou's character portrays many of my own adhd symptoms and acceptance of my queerness in the most wholesome way. Thank you Leanne!
August 1, 2024
OH MY GOODNESS I love this book so frigging much!
*ADHD rep done splendidly
*Pride and Prejudice retelling, in Liverpool
*What do you mean, I'm in love with my best friend? I'm the straightest girl I know. HUH? (five seconds later...) Oh.
*This book is wonderfully relatable. Yes, there is a conflict, but the conflict actually needed to happen. It adds to the story. Not once have I encountered it this well done.
I could go on and on about this book, but I'd rather you spend your time reading Lover Birds than this review.
*ADHD rep done splendidly
*Pride and Prejudice retelling, in Liverpool
*What do you mean, I'm in love with my best friend? I'm the straightest girl I know. HUH? (five seconds later...) Oh.
*This book is wonderfully relatable. Yes, there is a conflict, but the conflict actually needed to happen. It adds to the story. Not once have I encountered it this well done.
I could go on and on about this book, but I'd rather you spend your time reading Lover Birds than this review.
August 13, 2025
I loved the ADHD representation, I teared up a few times too. Lou was so adorable and I loved her. Her relationship with Isabel was so sweet to read about and it was so authentically teen of them it made me nostalgic. I love love loved this
January 19, 2025
This was a solid YA book that I surprised myself in liking as much as I did. Those who've been following my reviews know I'm not a big fan of YA. In my defence, I thought this was NA, lol. I also loved that it's set in the UK! Most romances I read are set in the US, so it was nice to read something from my country.
Lou was a decent MC, and Isabel was a good LI. I liked the side characters, too. The author balanced all the plotlines well; nothing overshadowed anything else.
I feel like Lou waxed lyrical about Liverpool a bit too much. And I'm sorry anyone from Liverpool, but the accent is horrendous. One of the worst in the country. I couldn't fault Isabel for not liking it.
I did get a bit tired of the teenage drama towards the end, but that's just me and my aversion to YA.
Lou was a decent MC, and Isabel was a good LI. I liked the side characters, too. The author balanced all the plotlines well; nothing overshadowed anything else.
I feel like Lou waxed lyrical about Liverpool a bit too much. And I'm sorry anyone from Liverpool, but the accent is horrendous. One of the worst in the country. I couldn't fault Isabel for not liking it.
I did get a bit tired of the teenage drama towards the end, but that's just me and my aversion to YA.
August 10, 2024
Appreciated the ADHD representation which was handled with great care. Unfortunately, I found this to be quite a dull read on the whole. A lesbian Pride & Prejudice retelling set in Liverpool should literally be THE perfect book for me but, alas, I just couldn’t root for any of the characters.
Lou was extremely annoying throughout and I found Isabel really unlikeable too. It was always going to be difficult to win me over when one of the ongoing points of conflict was judgement surrounding the scouse accent/culture.I find these kind of opinions to be rooted in ignorant classism and I couldn’t overlook that even when they were ‘explained’ away.
1.5 stars generously rounded up
Lou was extremely annoying throughout and I found Isabel really unlikeable too. It was always going to be difficult to win me over when one of the ongoing points of conflict was judgement surrounding the scouse accent/culture.I find these kind of opinions to be rooted in ignorant classism and I couldn’t overlook that even when they were ‘explained’ away.
1.5 stars generously rounded up
August 4, 2024
Soo cute!
A fun (kind of) enemies of lovers sapphic ya romance, about two very opposite girls who fall for each other. This was soo British sixth form, I could picture it set in my own sixth form so well. I loved the characters and the romance and I particularly loved the ADHD representation, crying on the train to the scene where her mum tells her she doesn’t need fixing. Can’t wait to recommend when it comes out!
Thank you harper Collins for a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
A fun (kind of) enemies of lovers sapphic ya romance, about two very opposite girls who fall for each other. This was soo British sixth form, I could picture it set in my own sixth form so well. I loved the characters and the romance and I particularly loved the ADHD representation, crying on the train to the scene where her mum tells her she doesn’t need fixing. Can’t wait to recommend when it comes out!
Thank you harper Collins for a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
June 21, 2024
The entire time I was reading this book everyone around me was begging for me to just stop reading it because I could not stop ranting about how much I hated the main character, Lou. She's just mean, where Isabel, her love interest, was a bit rude in retaliation and said something on a phone call that was a bit mean about Lou, Lou continuosly made fun of and insulted the NEW GIRL WITH NO FRIENDS! FOR THE FIRST LIKE 100 PAGES!! She was near bullying this girl to such an extent that when it turned romantic I wanted Isabel to have better because she seemed really sweet and Lou seemed like a really judgemental bitch, for lack of better word. And every time Lou though "oh she's probably talking shit about me" or whatever, it didn't feel like Lou was anxious or had low self esteem, it just felt like she was a judgemental person and she thought everyone thought like that. She also insults so many things that are normal traits, I found myself being insulted in moments where Lou mocks the books Isabel says she likes (because enjoying classics and saying that in a conversation ABOUT YOUR BOOK CLUB is sooo cringe) and her annotation style (nice to be mocked while actively annotating). I disliked all of Lou's friends BECAUSE they just SAT THERE as Lou relentlessly tore into THE NEW FRIENDLESS GIRL who BARELY retaliated. If my friend spoke to someone the way Lou spoke to Isabel I would tell them to stop and if they didn't I'd stop being their friend. She just came across as incredibly mean and the only characters I seemed to like were Jaz, Isabel's brother (Ben? Bennie? It was something like that) and Isabel, who I felt so bad for because she had to end up with Lou! Lou was also so incredibly mean about Isabel's shyness, and as someone who's best friend is selectively mute, it infuriated me how personally Lou took someone else's shyness. Like, I'm seeing it from the same POV she is, how can I tell that this girl is obviously shy but Lou can't?
Lou was also incredibly dismissive of all of her friends, she felt like a real "woe is me" character but nothing that makes me think "awe poor Lou" so she's just wandering around as if something awful has happened to her but literally nothing has. And hey, I'm Irish, my accent has been made fun of a LOT, never have I STORMED UP TO SOMEONE I DON'T KNOW to YELL at them about the HALF of a conversation I heard them have on the phone when they said they couldn't understand me. And I know that Lou blames this on her Adhd, but I have Bpd which, you know, makes you incredibly hostile, and I would STILL never do this, she blames her Adhd a LOT for things that are just her being rude or mean (there are also, of course, very real moments of Adhd that my neuro divergent self could relate to, but some of it was just Lou being an asshole)
Basically, I thought Lou was so unbelievably awful that it unsuspended my disbelief (because no way friends that are supposed to be really nice would let their friend bully the new girl cause she said one bad thing about Lou behind her back after seeing Lou for ACTUALLY no reason making fun of HER) and infuriated me. I also do not believe for a second that Isabel would fall for Lou because, again, despite what the characters say, for the first 100 or so pages it's just bullying with little to no pushback and all the pushback Isabel gives we literally see Lou push her into giving and being HAPPY when she gets the response she's FISHING for and then acts like Isabel is the problem.
All in all, this was not for me I need my mc to be somewhat likable.
Lou was also incredibly dismissive of all of her friends, she felt like a real "woe is me" character but nothing that makes me think "awe poor Lou" so she's just wandering around as if something awful has happened to her but literally nothing has. And hey, I'm Irish, my accent has been made fun of a LOT, never have I STORMED UP TO SOMEONE I DON'T KNOW to YELL at them about the HALF of a conversation I heard them have on the phone when they said they couldn't understand me. And I know that Lou blames this on her Adhd, but I have Bpd which, you know, makes you incredibly hostile, and I would STILL never do this, she blames her Adhd a LOT for things that are just her being rude or mean (there are also, of course, very real moments of Adhd that my neuro divergent self could relate to, but some of it was just Lou being an asshole)
Basically, I thought Lou was so unbelievably awful that it unsuspended my disbelief (because no way friends that are supposed to be really nice would let their friend bully the new girl cause she said one bad thing about Lou behind her back after seeing Lou for ACTUALLY no reason making fun of HER) and infuriated me. I also do not believe for a second that Isabel would fall for Lou because, again, despite what the characters say, for the first 100 or so pages it's just bullying with little to no pushback and all the pushback Isabel gives we literally see Lou push her into giving and being HAPPY when she gets the response she's FISHING for and then acts like Isabel is the problem.
All in all, this was not for me I need my mc to be somewhat likable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2025
I really think Isabel was done a disservice by not having a POV. And that’s not something I am likely to say (because I’m very much a “one POV or omniscient, never multiples” kind of person), but seeing her from without paints her in a bad light and leaves her whole half of the relationship and various issues feeling rather unresolved.
Did I still get uncharacteristically happy when they first admitted their feelings for each other? Yes. It’s always my favorite part of a queer YA romcom because it’s so freaking adorable. Just that moment when a character feels seen, possibly for the first time ever, and cherished for who they are, when they realize something new about themself or when they take the risk and it’s rewarded… it’s heartwarming, even for grouchy old me.
Buuut was I lowkey rooting for them to stay broken up during the third act breakup? Yeah, kinda.
{Thanks to Scholastic for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review}
Did I still get uncharacteristically happy when they first admitted their feelings for each other? Yes. It’s always my favorite part of a queer YA romcom because it’s so freaking adorable. Just that moment when a character feels seen, possibly for the first time ever, and cherished for who they are, when they realize something new about themself or when they take the risk and it’s rewarded… it’s heartwarming, even for grouchy old me.
Buuut was I lowkey rooting for them to stay broken up during the third act breakup? Yeah, kinda.
{Thanks to Scholastic for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review}
March 17, 2025
Audiobook listen ~ I LOVED this neurodivergent, queer YA set in Liverpool which I only found out is a modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice by reading the reviews (you do not need to know the story of P&P at all) - Leanne Egan is majorly talented.
Eloise Byrne has ADHD and is trying to get focused as she starts her A-Level’s, and then posh, Londoner Isabel moves to the school. They immediately become rivals…until they start to fall for each other.
Everything about this was perfect. The hate to lovers trope was SO good, the ADHD representation was highly relatable, and Eloise’s discovery of her sexuality is explored really well. Highly recommend for any teenager or young adult looking for ADHD or queer representation!
Eloise Byrne has ADHD and is trying to get focused as she starts her A-Level’s, and then posh, Londoner Isabel moves to the school. They immediately become rivals…until they start to fall for each other.
Everything about this was perfect. The hate to lovers trope was SO good, the ADHD representation was highly relatable, and Eloise’s discovery of her sexuality is explored really well. Highly recommend for any teenager or young adult looking for ADHD or queer representation!
February 9, 2024
What an absolute gem of a book! I fell in love with Lou and Isabelle on page 1, and if possible I’m looking forward to my first time in Liverpool this April even harder 🥰
October 1, 2025
*3.5*
TW: classism, sexual harassment / violence.
what happens when a posh london lesbian moves to liverpool and gets thrown into a friendship group filled with working class neurodivergent girls.
I adored the representation throughout this. I think it was such an accurate portrayal of neurodivergent people, the struggles we face and the lack of accommodations. the overwhelming anxiety of trying your best to survive and fit in. I liked the sapphic individuals, the difference between a lesbian who is out and proud compared to someone who has only just began even unpacking the fact they may be queer.
as a teenager from a working class public school in a “rough” area, I can say this is what high school was like. it was rude boys and slurs thrown around and nudes being threatened to get leaked and anxiety and stress. It made me unpack the isolation I feel as a working class person surrounded by academic professionals.
I will say, I don’t think this couple were good together AT ALL. I hate how the working class neurodivergent girl was made to feel ashamed and embarrassed of who she was because she “wasn’t good” enough for the rich posh girl. there was a slight redemption arc, I’m not sure if it was enough for me to love it …. but whatever !
TW: classism, sexual harassment / violence.
what happens when a posh london lesbian moves to liverpool and gets thrown into a friendship group filled with working class neurodivergent girls.
I adored the representation throughout this. I think it was such an accurate portrayal of neurodivergent people, the struggles we face and the lack of accommodations. the overwhelming anxiety of trying your best to survive and fit in. I liked the sapphic individuals, the difference between a lesbian who is out and proud compared to someone who has only just began even unpacking the fact they may be queer.
as a teenager from a working class public school in a “rough” area, I can say this is what high school was like. it was rude boys and slurs thrown around and nudes being threatened to get leaked and anxiety and stress. It made me unpack the isolation I feel as a working class person surrounded by academic professionals.
I will say, I don’t think this couple were good together AT ALL. I hate how the working class neurodivergent girl was made to feel ashamed and embarrassed of who she was because she “wasn’t good” enough for the rich posh girl. there was a slight redemption arc, I’m not sure if it was enough for me to love it …. but whatever !
August 21, 2024
this was really cute and funny !!
April 21, 2024
Brilliant adhd rep (I'll try to post a full review at some point)
August 16, 2024
Liverpool's like home. I've visited a few times, and it is so full of generations of Irish people and Irish culture; we share a lot of slang with Scousers, and we share the same sense of humour, for sure. So, reading a Liverpudlian Sapphic YA debut? Count me in immediately for the ARC!
And what a dazzling, wearing-your-pyjamas-out-in-public Grand Gesture of an ode to teendom Egan has written! Without even finishing the first chapter, 'Lover Birds' went immediately onto my five-star shelf.
In it, I found that distinctive Liverpudlian warmth and spirit, as well as passion and a delightful shrewdness in this group of seventeen-year-olds. There's nothing gladdens me more than authors endowing young adult characters with high levels of emotional intelligence. Lou, as a protagonist, is especially affecting.
Watching her have a laughably similar revelation of her sexuality to my own, just brought home how true-to-life, how convincing, how heartfelt Egan's characters are. Characterisation absolutely dazzles, like I say. And representation? All the gold stars! In fact, I can swear that I've never before read the lived experience of ADHD through a main character's eyes that has given me such a genuine insight into the condition. It's fair to say that 'Lover Birds' ended up educating me about neurodivergence - and I used to be an English teacher, just like Ms Price, so shame on me for my shallow understanding.
All in all, this is a true standout debut of 2024!
Deep, deep thanks to HarperCollins Children's, and to Leanne Egan for the eARC via NetGalley. I will be eagerly awaiting what comes next from them.
And what a dazzling, wearing-your-pyjamas-out-in-public Grand Gesture of an ode to teendom Egan has written! Without even finishing the first chapter, 'Lover Birds' went immediately onto my five-star shelf.
In it, I found that distinctive Liverpudlian warmth and spirit, as well as passion and a delightful shrewdness in this group of seventeen-year-olds. There's nothing gladdens me more than authors endowing young adult characters with high levels of emotional intelligence. Lou, as a protagonist, is especially affecting.
Watching her have a laughably similar revelation of her sexuality to my own, just brought home how true-to-life, how convincing, how heartfelt Egan's characters are. Characterisation absolutely dazzles, like I say. And representation? All the gold stars! In fact, I can swear that I've never before read the lived experience of ADHD through a main character's eyes that has given me such a genuine insight into the condition. It's fair to say that 'Lover Birds' ended up educating me about neurodivergence - and I used to be an English teacher, just like Ms Price, so shame on me for my shallow understanding.
All in all, this is a true standout debut of 2024!
Deep, deep thanks to HarperCollins Children's, and to Leanne Egan for the eARC via NetGalley. I will be eagerly awaiting what comes next from them.
September 29, 2024
Okay I am apparently blind because I did not realise this was a Pride and Prejudice retelling until I started reading other people’s reviews - but I can totally see it now! And honestly this was a fantastic retelling, the author did it very cleverly. This book was just so uplifting - it’s sapphic enemies to lovers, it’s fast paced and easy to read, brilliantly British. There’s absolutely fantastic representation of ADHD in this book, that was very believable and carefully, thoughtfully written. This is a snarky, sarcastic, messy book, and Eloise the main character was at times a little bit hard to like, but I had such a great time. I can’t wait to see what comes next from this author. This is another YA book that I think should be in every secondary school, not only for the ADHD representation, but also for the fantastic discussions of teenage friendships and discovering your sexuality. The romance is so sweet, it’s so wonderful to be on the outside of Eloise’s head and to KNOW why Isabel is avoiding her and flushing every time they talk while Eloise is completely oblivious - just adorable. I didn’t love the amount of miscommunication, and some of the dialogue felt a bit stilted at times, but this author is definitely one I can’t wait to read more from.
August 1, 2025
This was more than a lesbian retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Although there were definitely no end of nods to the original, there were so many original sections or completely made up parts that were needed to make this story make sense in a modern day story set in high school and between two women, rather than Regency country England between a man and a woman.
Isobel is a transfer student coming from London to Liverpool and not particularly happy about it. Still, she makes the best of it, making friends with literally every single one of Lou's social group except Lou herself.
But Lou isn't bothered. She's got to keep focused on her studies anyway, given that ADHD makes that play on hard mode. She's not medicated but she has all these tricks and tips to keep her going. Except, it's not working super well and her favourite teacher ends up staging an intervention where Isobel becomes her tutor for a while. Oh, how they both love that.
The book definitely teased out more obviously that affection for Lou is the reason why Isobel's actions are so irritating right from the start. I did like that element, as well as the part where neither one of them knew that the other was a lesbian till way later in the story than I expected.
A great new twist to an old classic.
Isobel is a transfer student coming from London to Liverpool and not particularly happy about it. Still, she makes the best of it, making friends with literally every single one of Lou's social group except Lou herself.
But Lou isn't bothered. She's got to keep focused on her studies anyway, given that ADHD makes that play on hard mode. She's not medicated but she has all these tricks and tips to keep her going. Except, it's not working super well and her favourite teacher ends up staging an intervention where Isobel becomes her tutor for a while. Oh, how they both love that.
The book definitely teased out more obviously that affection for Lou is the reason why Isobel's actions are so irritating right from the start. I did like that element, as well as the part where neither one of them knew that the other was a lesbian till way later in the story than I expected.
A great new twist to an old classic.
June 23, 2024
Thankyou Harper Collins for the chance to review this book.
Although I found the plot to be good and the FMC Eloise ‘Lou’ to be relatable with her ADHD and how that impacts her life, relationships friendships and the person she is, coming out and discovering yourself is a big thing, the book had funny and relatable moments however it was a draw back with the lack of romance I found in the book & I found that there was very little chemistry with Lou and the second FMC Isabel to begin with,as the book moved further on I found there was more chemistry developed. I was not a fan of the miscommunication trope, between not only Eloise and Isabel but also their relationships with their friends.
I would rate this book 3.5 ⭐️
Although I found the plot to be good and the FMC Eloise ‘Lou’ to be relatable with her ADHD and how that impacts her life, relationships friendships and the person she is, coming out and discovering yourself is a big thing, the book had funny and relatable moments however it was a draw back with the lack of romance I found in the book & I found that there was very little chemistry with Lou and the second FMC Isabel to begin with,as the book moved further on I found there was more chemistry developed. I was not a fan of the miscommunication trope, between not only Eloise and Isabel but also their relationships with their friends.
I would rate this book 3.5 ⭐️
January 12, 2025
Okay fine, I believe in love again (for a day or so)
For real though, what I liked about this book is that I could really recognise myself in both the love interests. Lou’s neurodivergence and Iz’s fear of being perceived as anything less than perfect. So that was really nice to read and to reflect on.
For real though, what I liked about this book is that I could really recognise myself in both the love interests. Lou’s neurodivergence and Iz’s fear of being perceived as anything less than perfect. So that was really nice to read and to reflect on.
March 5, 2025
Ik ben er nog niet helemaal over uit hoe ik dit kan beoordelen, want
a) het is een goed geschreven boek wat ik snel door wilde lezen en wat me liet voelen
maar
b) het was ook zo relatable dat ik heel erg meevoelde met de MC maar waardoor ik het ook niet helemaal eens was met het einde omdat ik het niet helemaal snapte(maar misschien ligt dat ook meer aan mij??)
a) het is een goed geschreven boek wat ik snel door wilde lezen en wat me liet voelen
maar
b) het was ook zo relatable dat ik heel erg meevoelde met de MC maar waardoor ik het ook niet helemaal eens was met het einde omdat ik het niet helemaal snapte(maar misschien ligt dat ook meer aan mij??)
March 5, 2025
het was een beetje een messy cocktail van het ene moment giechelen over deze enemies to lovers arc naar het andere moment intern creperen over wlw trauma en relatable mental health problemen??
April 1, 2025
Not the first sapphic pride and prejudice retelling I’ve read, won’t be the last. I always enjoy them and this is included. Definitely cute.
December 24, 2024
Masochism is me reading YA romances, hating them, and then picking up another one.
Someone please stop me from doing this again in 2025
Someone please stop me from doing this again in 2025
August 4, 2024
Dare I say a new favourite book has emerged? I love a good Pride & Prejudice retelling (even a loose one) and this is one of the better adaptations to a modern setting.
So we have the Lizzie character (Eloise/Lou), a Scouse girl in Liverpool who has a fresh ADHD diagnosis, a group of four best friends and is preparing for her big exams for school while insisting she does not need ADHD medication to focus. She works hard, is loud and impulsive, and just passing her classes. Enter our Darcy character (Isabel), a posh girl from London who is shy, looks down on the fast-talking, scouse-accented, constantly chattering Eloise and a rivalry is born.
One of the main themes in this modern adaptation remains classism. Isabel is used to living in the posh parts of London and looks down on Liverpool while Eloise loves Liverpool and is proud of her hometown, her mother's blue-collar job, and her scouse accent. In addition to Isabel genuinely somewhat looking down on these things, Eloise's ADHD diagnosis confirms that she is very sensitive to rejection, even perceived rejection. Some very organic misunderstandings occur, as they do in the original story, with Isabel being posh, proud and completely thrown off by how charmed she is by Eloise, who in turn interprets everything she says as a dig and shyness as avoidance.
While the story does not stay beat for beat the same as the book, it does do a fantastic job at adapting the primary themes in a modern context and also giving us a cast of fun characters (and some interesting subplots). Highly recommended!
So we have the Lizzie character (Eloise/Lou), a Scouse girl in Liverpool who has a fresh ADHD diagnosis, a group of four best friends and is preparing for her big exams for school while insisting she does not need ADHD medication to focus. She works hard, is loud and impulsive, and just passing her classes. Enter our Darcy character (Isabel), a posh girl from London who is shy, looks down on the fast-talking, scouse-accented, constantly chattering Eloise and a rivalry is born.
One of the main themes in this modern adaptation remains classism. Isabel is used to living in the posh parts of London and looks down on Liverpool while Eloise loves Liverpool and is proud of her hometown, her mother's blue-collar job, and her scouse accent. In addition to Isabel genuinely somewhat looking down on these things, Eloise's ADHD diagnosis confirms that she is very sensitive to rejection, even perceived rejection. Some very organic misunderstandings occur, as they do in the original story, with Isabel being posh, proud and completely thrown off by how charmed she is by Eloise, who in turn interprets everything she says as a dig and shyness as avoidance.
While the story does not stay beat for beat the same as the book, it does do a fantastic job at adapting the primary themes in a modern context and also giving us a cast of fun characters (and some interesting subplots). Highly recommended!
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