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Just Another Meet Cute
Boy saves girl stuck on a disastrous hike. What could go wrong? So. Much.
Just Another Meet Cute is the joyful and funny story about what happens when you realize you're dating the wrong twin.
When seventeen-year old Nina Riley gets saved by a super cute Knight-in-Faded-Khakis just as she lands in an embarrassingly 'ahem' sticky situation during the most disastrous hike known to man, she wasn't exactly looking for that meet cute. She really just needed some peace and quiet from her complicated family. Unfortunately, he disappears before she can properly thank him or get his number. All she has is his name (Ian Nguyen) and a navy jacket with a dog keychain, a gym card, and laundromat receipt. But a meet cute is a meet cute. And armed with years of watching Veronica Mars and a techy cousin, it should be simple enough for Nina to find the boy of her dreams, right? But when she finally tracks him down, he's different than she thought - right down to his name. Ryan is just as cute as she remembers, but the chemistry isn't there like it was before. After a few dates, she meets Ryan's his sweet grandma, his enthusiastic sisters, and his twin brother-Ian.
Just Another Meet Cute is the joyful and funny story about what happens when you realize you're dating the wrong twin.
When seventeen-year old Nina Riley gets saved by a super cute Knight-in-Faded-Khakis just as she lands in an embarrassingly 'ahem' sticky situation during the most disastrous hike known to man, she wasn't exactly looking for that meet cute. She really just needed some peace and quiet from her complicated family. Unfortunately, he disappears before she can properly thank him or get his number. All she has is his name (Ian Nguyen) and a navy jacket with a dog keychain, a gym card, and laundromat receipt. But a meet cute is a meet cute. And armed with years of watching Veronica Mars and a techy cousin, it should be simple enough for Nina to find the boy of her dreams, right? But when she finally tracks him down, he's different than she thought - right down to his name. Ryan is just as cute as she remembers, but the chemistry isn't there like it was before. After a few dates, she meets Ryan's his sweet grandma, his enthusiastic sisters, and his twin brother-Ian.
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2025
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3462 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
May 29, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
3.85⭐️
After Nina has an unexpected meet-cute with a guy, she really wants to find him again. So she goes full-stalker-mode with her cousin Linh's help (love this duo haha), and she ends up finding him! Except he doesn’t remember her...🤔 Hm, that's weird. But anyways! She starts dating him. But wait...... IT'S NOT HIM!? Turns out she's dating his TWIN BROTHER..... AHHHH! What the heck does she do now??
quickly about what formats I read it in (skip if u don't care)
I actually wasn't able to finish the ARC on time before it got archived (😭) so I ended up buying a physical copy once it published a few days ago, so I could finish it (ig you can tell i enjoyed it enough to want to buy it + finish it!)
And the reason I wasn't able to finish it in time at first was because I didn't realize it was a PDF arc, so I was trying to find a way to read it comfortably. I ended up reading it (before it archived) on my laptop which can fold backwards and turn into a giant iPad 😂 lowkey it was kind of a vibe reading it like that. maybe I should request more PDF arcs....
PUBLISHERS, MAKE YOUR E-ARC ARCHIVE DATES LONGER!
my review
I enjoyed it! And I got excited to pick it back up 😆 The writing is nice, with a bit of humor and moments where I cringed internally (and externally) for the main character 😬😂
In the beginning, the flirtations were very forward, even overstepping boundaries imo, since they basically just met. Like who ties his jacket around the waist of a girl he just met? It's nice of him to offer in that specific scenario, but she didn't even accept it yet, and if she did, just hand it to her bruh. Other examples are kissing the cheek on the first date (maybe this is normal for some idk) and saying things like "that's my girl"... 😭 that would just give me the ick if it happened to me lol
But the actual romantic plot (we're talking about feelings, not just flirtations) throughout the book, was well paced. It's not the type that I'd think about after closing the book, but I liked it and admit they have good chemistry! :>
idk but I just love this mention of a kindle. makes her more relatable 🫶
I liked the family aspects in this book. The dynamics were done well between Nina, her mom, her cousin, and her aunt. Plus her dad, who she's struggling to accept after he recently reappeared in their lives. I liked seeing the progress in multiple relationships. Secrets, truths, and confrontations were brought out into the light.
The twins' family is huge, which I can relate to lol. Relatives upon relatives. Wish we got to see some more of them, as there were only a couple that made themselves better known to the reader.
It's so refreshing reading about a teen who doesn't have their whole future and life planned out. There's nothing wrong with that, and in fact, it's very admirable. Loved the themes and messages :)
final thoughts
i liked it enough when I was reading, but when I finished it, I didn't really think about it, so it's kinda unmemorable for me 🤷♀️
this book is a great light read for spring/summer! it takes place around that time too 🌸
3.85⭐️
After Nina has an unexpected meet-cute with a guy, she really wants to find him again. So she goes full-stalker-mode with her cousin Linh's help (love this duo haha), and she ends up finding him! Except he doesn’t remember her...🤔 Hm, that's weird. But anyways! She starts dating him. But wait...... IT'S NOT HIM!? Turns out she's dating his TWIN BROTHER..... AHHHH! What the heck does she do now??
quickly about what formats I read it in (skip if u don't care)
I actually wasn't able to finish the ARC on time before it got archived (😭) so I ended up buying a physical copy once it published a few days ago, so I could finish it (ig you can tell i enjoyed it enough to want to buy it + finish it!)
And the reason I wasn't able to finish it in time at first was because I didn't realize it was a PDF arc, so I was trying to find a way to read it comfortably. I ended up reading it (before it archived) on my laptop which can fold backwards and turn into a giant iPad 😂 lowkey it was kind of a vibe reading it like that. maybe I should request more PDF arcs....
PUBLISHERS, MAKE YOUR E-ARC ARCHIVE DATES LONGER!
my review
I enjoyed it! And I got excited to pick it back up 😆 The writing is nice, with a bit of humor and moments where I cringed internally (and externally) for the main character 😬😂
In the beginning, the flirtations were very forward, even overstepping boundaries imo, since they basically just met. Like who ties his jacket around the waist of a girl he just met? It's nice of him to offer in that specific scenario, but she didn't even accept it yet, and if she did, just hand it to her bruh. Other examples are kissing the cheek on the first date (maybe this is normal for some idk) and saying things like "that's my girl"... 😭 that would just give me the ick if it happened to me lol
But the actual romantic plot (we're talking about feelings, not just flirtations) throughout the book, was well paced. It's not the type that I'd think about after closing the book, but I liked it and admit they have good chemistry! :>
"I switched off my kindle and placed it beside me."
idk but I just love this mention of a kindle. makes her more relatable 🫶
"I may not be able to be your rock, but I would like to be here for you. Just a tiny pebble, if that's what you want."
I liked the family aspects in this book. The dynamics were done well between Nina, her mom, her cousin, and her aunt. Plus her dad, who she's struggling to accept after he recently reappeared in their lives. I liked seeing the progress in multiple relationships. Secrets, truths, and confrontations were brought out into the light.
The twins' family is huge, which I can relate to lol. Relatives upon relatives. Wish we got to see some more of them, as there were only a couple that made themselves better known to the reader.
"In fact, I think it's better that you don't know what to do yet. This way, you can grow a bit first and live life."
"You mean it's okay if I just drive along aimlessly and waste gas?"
"It's not wasting gas if you're moving."
It's so refreshing reading about a teen who doesn't have their whole future and life planned out. There's nothing wrong with that, and in fact, it's very admirable. Loved the themes and messages :)
final thoughts
i liked it enough when I was reading, but when I finished it, I didn't really think about it, so it's kinda unmemorable for me 🤷♀️
this book is a great light read for spring/summer! it takes place around that time too 🌸
May 11, 2025
Just another meet cute has so many elements that had me excited to read it. I loved the mistaken identity concept and cinnamon roll hero’s are completely on my radar.
Nina’s gone on a hike to get away from family drama. Unfortunately her day isn’t going as planned and when she gets into a different situation, Ian is there to rescue her.
Later she thinks she’s able to return the favour when what she thinks is Ian gets into a little trouble of his own. But the guy she’s saved might look like Ian but he says he’s called Ryan. Could she be mistaken or did he forget her?
✅ Mistaken identity
✅ Love triangle
✅ Cinnamon roll element
✅ Who’s the guy for Nina?
✅ Family drama
Nina’s gone on a hike to get away from family drama. Unfortunately her day isn’t going as planned and when she gets into a different situation, Ian is there to rescue her.
Later she thinks she’s able to return the favour when what she thinks is Ian gets into a little trouble of his own. But the guy she’s saved might look like Ian but he says he’s called Ryan. Could she be mistaken or did he forget her?
✅ Mistaken identity
✅ Love triangle
✅ Cinnamon roll element
✅ Who’s the guy for Nina?
✅ Family drama
Want to read
May 16, 2025this book sounds so cute and im obsessed with the cover!!
release date: may 20 💌
thank you so much to scholastic canada for the gifted copy!!! 💗
release date: may 20 💌
thank you so much to scholastic canada for the gifted copy!!! 💗
June 10, 2025
This book was exactly what I expected it to be, and sometimes that’s just the thing you need tbh
March 9, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and Scholastic for the eARC!!
For all the fans of While You Were Sleeping. 😉
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book. I find no fault with it. And even better, this book showcased many things that many Ya today overlooks. I’ll try to go through them all.
1. We have a protagonist who does NOT have all the answers. She doesn’t know what she to do with her life at 17 years old. I’m so tired of YA focusing on this concept of “I need to know my whole life at 17 and must go to an Ivy League to do it.” There are some kids who know this and that’s wonderful… but I love seeing a book emphasize that it’s okay to NOT have your dream goal figured out. And I love that she doesn’t even know it at the end of the book! She has her whole life ahead of her!! I also loved that even though her cousin does have a dream, we got a little bit of “what if it doesn’t work out? I feel like I have nothing else I can do.” Yes! 🙌 Such a good point!
2. Along with the first, there’s not a huge emphasis on college. I like that there was talk of different options! Ryan taking time to travel. Not every path is right for every person. And I liked that Nina wasn’t hell bent on college and an overachiever to the extreme. That is getting so overused nowadays.
3. A thought-provoking family plot that does NOT overshadow the main plot. This book had the perfect amount of familial plot on both sides. I knew their families and felt for their families and enjoyed those subplots. I never felt it overwhelming the main story.
4. There is NO SPICE and (from what I remember) very little swearing. THANK YOU. This is a YA book that I wouldn’t mind seeing a younger YA reader reading!! They kiss. That’s it. There is no talk of hands going under clothes even. It’s all tame!!! And god do I love seeing that. I’m almost desensitized to smut and vast amounts of sexual innuendo in YA now and it’s disheartening. So this book made me SO happy!! 😁 (Again this is from what I remember but there are definitely no explicit scenes!)
5. A believable, fun, and interesting plot with characters who are upfront and honest.
Guys. This is big. The romance plot between the lead and both twins MAKES SENSE. I kept going “oh yeah, I could see that happening. Oh yes, these two work better.” Etc. I love how the author went about it and without spoilers, it all works out perfectly!
And Nina is HONEST with herself and others. She’s such a beautiful character. I was never annoyed with her. I loved her. And she talked through things with herself and others very well - she felt like a 17yo in a situation like this. Yes, there were times when her emotions felt explosive but guys, she’s 17. 😊 I was just so happy to get a protagonist who is logical instead of nonsensical!
Highly recommend this book to young and older YA readers! As an adult reading YA, this was so fun and fresh!! It felt like reading those early 00’s YA books similar to Sarah Dessen. 💖 It made me happy to see and I hope that more younger readers can find this book!
For all the fans of While You Were Sleeping. 😉
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book. I find no fault with it. And even better, this book showcased many things that many Ya today overlooks. I’ll try to go through them all.
1. We have a protagonist who does NOT have all the answers. She doesn’t know what she to do with her life at 17 years old. I’m so tired of YA focusing on this concept of “I need to know my whole life at 17 and must go to an Ivy League to do it.” There are some kids who know this and that’s wonderful… but I love seeing a book emphasize that it’s okay to NOT have your dream goal figured out. And I love that she doesn’t even know it at the end of the book! She has her whole life ahead of her!! I also loved that even though her cousin does have a dream, we got a little bit of “what if it doesn’t work out? I feel like I have nothing else I can do.” Yes! 🙌 Such a good point!
2. Along with the first, there’s not a huge emphasis on college. I like that there was talk of different options! Ryan taking time to travel. Not every path is right for every person. And I liked that Nina wasn’t hell bent on college and an overachiever to the extreme. That is getting so overused nowadays.
3. A thought-provoking family plot that does NOT overshadow the main plot. This book had the perfect amount of familial plot on both sides. I knew their families and felt for their families and enjoyed those subplots. I never felt it overwhelming the main story.
4. There is NO SPICE and (from what I remember) very little swearing. THANK YOU. This is a YA book that I wouldn’t mind seeing a younger YA reader reading!! They kiss. That’s it. There is no talk of hands going under clothes even. It’s all tame!!! And god do I love seeing that. I’m almost desensitized to smut and vast amounts of sexual innuendo in YA now and it’s disheartening. So this book made me SO happy!! 😁 (Again this is from what I remember but there are definitely no explicit scenes!)
5. A believable, fun, and interesting plot with characters who are upfront and honest.
Guys. This is big. The romance plot between the lead and both twins MAKES SENSE. I kept going “oh yeah, I could see that happening. Oh yes, these two work better.” Etc. I love how the author went about it and without spoilers, it all works out perfectly!
And Nina is HONEST with herself and others. She’s such a beautiful character. I was never annoyed with her. I loved her. And she talked through things with herself and others very well - she felt like a 17yo in a situation like this. Yes, there were times when her emotions felt explosive but guys, she’s 17. 😊 I was just so happy to get a protagonist who is logical instead of nonsensical!
Highly recommend this book to young and older YA readers! As an adult reading YA, this was so fun and fresh!! It felt like reading those early 00’s YA books similar to Sarah Dessen. 💖 It made me happy to see and I hope that more younger readers can find this book!
March 28, 2025
Who doesn’t love a good meet cute? This book was fun to read, but it also stressed me out!! Nina just kept digging a deeper hole. She had me screaming to just tell the truth!! I loved that there was a side story with Nina’s family—it was a welcome break from the craziness of the love triangle, even though it also stressed me out! Definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a fun read!
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of the book.
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of the book.
May 14, 2025
I forgot how refreshing a young adult romance could be, and I love the relationship between Nina, Ian, and Ryan. It’s so relatable and genuine.
You know how some love triangles can feel forced or just plain ridiculous? Well, this one is different. It’s believable, fun, and honestly, the character dynamics are just on point. The lead character finds herself caught between two twins, and the way it all unfolds is like watching a perfectly choreographed dance.
I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but I found myself rooting for all of the characters in this book. Everyone had a story that pulls at the heart.
What I really appreciated about this book was the balance it struck with Nina’s family drama. It had just the right amount to keep things interesting and engaging. I was all in on the storyline and the characters are all extremely likeable.
Overall, reading this book was fun! It was lighthearted, and just what I needed to escape for a while. If you’re looking for a charming romance that’s filled with relatable characters and sweet moments, I highly recommend picking this one up. You won’t regret it!
Thank you to Ms. Nguyen for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
For more of my reviews, visit The Eclectic Review.
You know how some love triangles can feel forced or just plain ridiculous? Well, this one is different. It’s believable, fun, and honestly, the character dynamics are just on point. The lead character finds herself caught between two twins, and the way it all unfolds is like watching a perfectly choreographed dance.
I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but I found myself rooting for all of the characters in this book. Everyone had a story that pulls at the heart.
What I really appreciated about this book was the balance it struck with Nina’s family drama. It had just the right amount to keep things interesting and engaging. I was all in on the storyline and the characters are all extremely likeable.
Overall, reading this book was fun! It was lighthearted, and just what I needed to escape for a while. If you’re looking for a charming romance that’s filled with relatable characters and sweet moments, I highly recommend picking this one up. You won’t regret it!
Thank you to Ms. Nguyen for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
For more of my reviews, visit The Eclectic Review.
May 13, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC of this book.
3.5, rounded up. This is cute, and I really enjoyed the family dynamics (though I wish we had gotten more of the backstory of Nina's parents). The identical twin conundrum is a creative conceit, though some of the aspects of Nina's relationship with Ryan vs. Ian made me cringe. It's a fun read overall, and I'd recommend it for something a little different.
3.5, rounded up. This is cute, and I really enjoyed the family dynamics (though I wish we had gotten more of the backstory of Nina's parents). The identical twin conundrum is a creative conceit, though some of the aspects of Nina's relationship with Ryan vs. Ian made me cringe. It's a fun read overall, and I'd recommend it for something a little different.
July 1, 2025
This was a cute YA romance featuring Nina, an Asian American teen who has two meet cutes with twin brothers without realizing it. Torn between the brothers, Nina has to decide which one really has her heart as she goes on a series of dates while trying not to break anyone's heart, especially her own. This was funny, lighthearted and good on audio. Recommended for fans of authors like Jenny Han.
September 12, 2025
Funny, cute, easy read. Obviously not the deepest lol but a good vacation book
September 29, 2025
1.5 Stars
Want to read
September 20, 2024"Just Another Meet Cute is the joyful and funny story about what happens when you realize you're dating the wrong twin."
umm, what!?
umm, what!?
March 10, 2025
E ARC provided by Netgalley
When Nina is out on a hike, trying to avoid a family gathering, she manages to sit down on a juice box with disastrous results and scrape her leg in quick succession. Normally, this wouldn't be the worst thing, but when a cute, buff guy her age shows up, offering her a band aid and even a pad and tampon (hey, he has sisters and knows how to be prepared!), it's a little embarrassing. He even loans her his jacket to cover up with, but the two part suddenly when both have places to be. Realizing that he left his keys in the coat pocket, Nina and her cousin Linh investigate and do a little light stalking based on the gym card on the key ring. It takes a couple of days, but she manages to run into the hiker, Ryan, and save him from being run over. The odd thing is that he doesn't seem to remember their encounter. Surmising from the key ring evidence that he is a dog person, when Ryan suggests they meet in the park, she brings along a neighbor's dog, to which she is allergic. Taking Benadryl makes her fall asleep on the date! When Ryan's sister finds out Ryan is with a girl, she invites Nina back to the house for a family dinner, because the grandmother makes fantastic pho. Nina is half Korean, and her father, who abandoned her mother before she was born, and has another family she's never met, is back in town and dating her mother! When Nina goes to Ryan, she runs into his twin brother, Ian, who is really the one who was on the hike. This creates an awkward situation, and Nina spends a lot of time going back and forth between the brothers, trying to decide which one is a friend, and which one is a romantic interest. She also has to navigate incorporating her father into her life, especially when her mother informs her that he is moving in with them. Since the two have been living with the mother's sister, Sarah, this creates a lot of tension. Ryan and Ian also have divorced parents, and both are super sweet and cute. How will Nina ever be able to decide to date just one of the twins, and how can she avoid hurting the one she doesn't?
While it seemed to me, an old person, that the entire misunderstanding could have been avoided if Nina has just told Ian the truth when she arrived with Ryan at the family party, young readers will enjoy all of the subterfuge and secrets of a "hidden" romance. There are plenty of fun dates, including one helping out at a food truck and getting a steak as payment! Since both the twins and Nina has Korean heritage, there are some interesting details about food and families that give this some more interest.
The emotions surrounding Nina's father, and his new role in her life, make sense. Nina has a close relationship with her mother as well as her cousin Linh and Aunt Sarah, who are both worried that the father will take off again. While it seemed unlikely that there would conveniently be a house for Nina's mother to buy right next door to the aunt, it is satisfying to think the family will still be together.
While the idea of an angsty love triangle is more of a young adult romantic concept, this story didn't have any more mature language or situations other than kissing, so would be a decent choice for older middle grade readers as well. Fans of Debbi Michiko Florence's Get it Together, Keiko Carter, Kasie West books, or Sarah Dessen titles will enjoy this more complicated than normal "meet cute".
When Nina is out on a hike, trying to avoid a family gathering, she manages to sit down on a juice box with disastrous results and scrape her leg in quick succession. Normally, this wouldn't be the worst thing, but when a cute, buff guy her age shows up, offering her a band aid and even a pad and tampon (hey, he has sisters and knows how to be prepared!), it's a little embarrassing. He even loans her his jacket to cover up with, but the two part suddenly when both have places to be. Realizing that he left his keys in the coat pocket, Nina and her cousin Linh investigate and do a little light stalking based on the gym card on the key ring. It takes a couple of days, but she manages to run into the hiker, Ryan, and save him from being run over. The odd thing is that he doesn't seem to remember their encounter. Surmising from the key ring evidence that he is a dog person, when Ryan suggests they meet in the park, she brings along a neighbor's dog, to which she is allergic. Taking Benadryl makes her fall asleep on the date! When Ryan's sister finds out Ryan is with a girl, she invites Nina back to the house for a family dinner, because the grandmother makes fantastic pho. Nina is half Korean, and her father, who abandoned her mother before she was born, and has another family she's never met, is back in town and dating her mother! When Nina goes to Ryan, she runs into his twin brother, Ian, who is really the one who was on the hike. This creates an awkward situation, and Nina spends a lot of time going back and forth between the brothers, trying to decide which one is a friend, and which one is a romantic interest. She also has to navigate incorporating her father into her life, especially when her mother informs her that he is moving in with them. Since the two have been living with the mother's sister, Sarah, this creates a lot of tension. Ryan and Ian also have divorced parents, and both are super sweet and cute. How will Nina ever be able to decide to date just one of the twins, and how can she avoid hurting the one she doesn't?
While it seemed to me, an old person, that the entire misunderstanding could have been avoided if Nina has just told Ian the truth when she arrived with Ryan at the family party, young readers will enjoy all of the subterfuge and secrets of a "hidden" romance. There are plenty of fun dates, including one helping out at a food truck and getting a steak as payment! Since both the twins and Nina has Korean heritage, there are some interesting details about food and families that give this some more interest.
The emotions surrounding Nina's father, and his new role in her life, make sense. Nina has a close relationship with her mother as well as her cousin Linh and Aunt Sarah, who are both worried that the father will take off again. While it seemed unlikely that there would conveniently be a house for Nina's mother to buy right next door to the aunt, it is satisfying to think the family will still be together.
While the idea of an angsty love triangle is more of a young adult romantic concept, this story didn't have any more mature language or situations other than kissing, so would be a decent choice for older middle grade readers as well. Fans of Debbi Michiko Florence's Get it Together, Keiko Carter, Kasie West books, or Sarah Dessen titles will enjoy this more complicated than normal "meet cute".
May 13, 2025
Nina does not necessarily expect to meet someone while out on a hike. Especially not just after siting on a juice box, leaving a deceiving looking damp stain on her shorts. But Ian is a true gentleman, and a cute one at that. He offers her his jacket to tie around her waist, but a phone call sends him rushing off, and leaving her alone, with his jacket.
Determined to find Ian, and return his jacket to him, Nina finds herself stalking him, trying to figure out where he might be so that she can return his jacket, and get his phone number. When she does find him, though, he seems to not remember her, and although she was certain he had said his name was Ian, the boy she has found is called Ryan.
Of course when Nina meets Ryan’s twin brother, Ian, things start to fall into place. And Ian most certainly remembers her from the trail. The confusion that occurs with Nina unaware there are two guys who look entirely identical to each other is rather amusing at times. Although, it does come with its problems. Nina and Ian had an instant chemistry when they met, and as nice as Ryan is, Nina can’t quite tell if she is making the right choice by dating him. I did really love Nina. She can be incredibly naive at times, but she does read as a very real person, and certainly relatable at times!
The big question of this novel is which twin is the right one – Ian or Ryan? Despite looking identical, they are very different people. There is no good twin and bad twin. Both boys are really nice, although in their own ways. They have entirely different personalities, which set them apart from each other. Ryan is thoughtful, kind, always available to offer a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen. Ian is also caring, but he can also be incredibly sarcastic, and is not as open as his brother with sharing his emotions. It is clear that Nina cares for both of them, but making the choice of which she can see herself falling in love with is an entirely different matter. This book certainly has it’s fair share of emotional conflict, and it does make you carefully consider which twin might be best for Nina. I certainly had my opinions on who she should be with, and watching the characters get to know each other more, and decide what sort of relationship they wanted with each other, was definitely captivating.
There are a lot of deeper moments in this story, with family backgrounds, arguments, and relationships that are difficult to navigate. This certainly fleshes out the story, and turns it from just a light-hearted romance to a much more emotional story that seems ever so real as you read it. I did, in fact, read the whole thing in one sitting. Once you have started reading, there is no point where you feel able to step away and leave the characters be until the next time you pick up the book. It is the kind of book that you can simply sit and devour, and feel completely satisfied with the story once you have finished it.
I definitely enjoyed reading this book. If you are after a young adult romance, with a difficult love triangle involving an identical set of twins, then this is definitely the book you want to get your hands on!
Determined to find Ian, and return his jacket to him, Nina finds herself stalking him, trying to figure out where he might be so that she can return his jacket, and get his phone number. When she does find him, though, he seems to not remember her, and although she was certain he had said his name was Ian, the boy she has found is called Ryan.
Of course when Nina meets Ryan’s twin brother, Ian, things start to fall into place. And Ian most certainly remembers her from the trail. The confusion that occurs with Nina unaware there are two guys who look entirely identical to each other is rather amusing at times. Although, it does come with its problems. Nina and Ian had an instant chemistry when they met, and as nice as Ryan is, Nina can’t quite tell if she is making the right choice by dating him. I did really love Nina. She can be incredibly naive at times, but she does read as a very real person, and certainly relatable at times!
The big question of this novel is which twin is the right one – Ian or Ryan? Despite looking identical, they are very different people. There is no good twin and bad twin. Both boys are really nice, although in their own ways. They have entirely different personalities, which set them apart from each other. Ryan is thoughtful, kind, always available to offer a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen. Ian is also caring, but he can also be incredibly sarcastic, and is not as open as his brother with sharing his emotions. It is clear that Nina cares for both of them, but making the choice of which she can see herself falling in love with is an entirely different matter. This book certainly has it’s fair share of emotional conflict, and it does make you carefully consider which twin might be best for Nina. I certainly had my opinions on who she should be with, and watching the characters get to know each other more, and decide what sort of relationship they wanted with each other, was definitely captivating.
There are a lot of deeper moments in this story, with family backgrounds, arguments, and relationships that are difficult to navigate. This certainly fleshes out the story, and turns it from just a light-hearted romance to a much more emotional story that seems ever so real as you read it. I did, in fact, read the whole thing in one sitting. Once you have started reading, there is no point where you feel able to step away and leave the characters be until the next time you pick up the book. It is the kind of book that you can simply sit and devour, and feel completely satisfied with the story once you have finished it.
I definitely enjoyed reading this book. If you are after a young adult romance, with a difficult love triangle involving an identical set of twins, then this is definitely the book you want to get your hands on!
October 20, 2025
Does cheating run in the family?
I hated that Ryan was painted as simply an obstacle between Ian and Nina and not a WHOLE RELATIONSHIP Nina committed herself to. Respectfully, I hated everyone in this book, they were imperfect but to the point where I was like “do I even want to cheer on these guys?”.
Let’s start off positive, Ryan, I love you. I guess being nice is boring because two of your girlfriends ran off and realized their feelings after kissing your twin. He really didn’t do anything wrong, I appreciated the book for acknowledging that. He was funny, witty, gentle, kind-hearted, and stable. Sadly, entirely too nice for the FL. I’m convinced that the author wrote him to forgive these two so quickly because she didn’t want to write anymore.
Nina, nina, nina… UGH I HATED THIS GIRL SO MUCH. SHE WAS SO SELFISH AND I HATED THE FACT THAT SHE SULKED AT THE FACT THAT IAN TURNED HER DOWN BECAUSE OF RYAN. (even though he did make out with her, which I’ll complain about later) She should know by now that family is important to Ian, you just barely entered this man’s life and you expect him to hurt his brother because you like him? The way she painted this situation as some bump in her love life, like no, cheating on your boyfriend with his twin brother is much more than that. I’m glad she broke up with Ryan, although, she should’ve done that before making out with his twin and cheating on him. Maybe even right when she noticed her feelings for Ian? The MANY MANY TIMES she found herself fantasizing about his brother, thinking about kissing him, having these secret text conversations with him was not enough for her to break up with Ryan. It took Ian telling her it’ll never happen to finally end that horrid relationship.
Ian, I don’t even know what to say. Idk if you know this, but flirting with your brother’s girlfriend, making out with her, getting all touchy with her, and texting her all day doesn’t make you loyal to him at all. You hate the thought of hurting him? Right, so what were you thinking when you were doing all of this then?
Honestly, I saw a bunch of reviews talking about how Ian was lowk a jerk, but I liked their banter. It was funny and cute, but I couldn’t get all giddy because Nina was literally in a relationship throughout it all. I liked the opposite twin dynamic. Also I loved the detail of Ian blushing on his ears instead of on his cheeks, aw!
I wish Nina wasn’t dating Ryan throughout it all, it would’ve made the read less painful, but I cannot deny that it was a pretty fun read. Although in the end, I couldn’t even be happy for the couple.
ALSO, I am sooo curious on Nina’s dad’s relationship problems, I know they’re not that important, but I need my chismis….. what happened between him in his ex wife I need to know!!!!!!
I hated that Ryan was painted as simply an obstacle between Ian and Nina and not a WHOLE RELATIONSHIP Nina committed herself to. Respectfully, I hated everyone in this book, they were imperfect but to the point where I was like “do I even want to cheer on these guys?”.
Let’s start off positive, Ryan, I love you. I guess being nice is boring because two of your girlfriends ran off and realized their feelings after kissing your twin. He really didn’t do anything wrong, I appreciated the book for acknowledging that. He was funny, witty, gentle, kind-hearted, and stable. Sadly, entirely too nice for the FL. I’m convinced that the author wrote him to forgive these two so quickly because she didn’t want to write anymore.
Nina, nina, nina… UGH I HATED THIS GIRL SO MUCH. SHE WAS SO SELFISH AND I HATED THE FACT THAT SHE SULKED AT THE FACT THAT IAN TURNED HER DOWN BECAUSE OF RYAN. (even though he did make out with her, which I’ll complain about later) She should know by now that family is important to Ian, you just barely entered this man’s life and you expect him to hurt his brother because you like him? The way she painted this situation as some bump in her love life, like no, cheating on your boyfriend with his twin brother is much more than that. I’m glad she broke up with Ryan, although, she should’ve done that before making out with his twin and cheating on him. Maybe even right when she noticed her feelings for Ian? The MANY MANY TIMES she found herself fantasizing about his brother, thinking about kissing him, having these secret text conversations with him was not enough for her to break up with Ryan. It took Ian telling her it’ll never happen to finally end that horrid relationship.
Ian, I don’t even know what to say. Idk if you know this, but flirting with your brother’s girlfriend, making out with her, getting all touchy with her, and texting her all day doesn’t make you loyal to him at all. You hate the thought of hurting him? Right, so what were you thinking when you were doing all of this then?
Honestly, I saw a bunch of reviews talking about how Ian was lowk a jerk, but I liked their banter. It was funny and cute, but I couldn’t get all giddy because Nina was literally in a relationship throughout it all. I liked the opposite twin dynamic. Also I loved the detail of Ian blushing on his ears instead of on his cheeks, aw!
I wish Nina wasn’t dating Ryan throughout it all, it would’ve made the read less painful, but I cannot deny that it was a pretty fun read. Although in the end, I couldn’t even be happy for the couple.
ALSO, I am sooo curious on Nina’s dad’s relationship problems, I know they’re not that important, but I need my chismis….. what happened between him in his ex wife I need to know!!!!!!
May 19, 2025
4.25 stars
rep: biracial (Vietnamese, white) protagonist, Vietnamese-American love interest and side characters; (Vietnamese-American author)
The summary of Just Another Meet Cute sounded so bonkers that I knew I had to pick it up. On a disastrous hike, Nina is saved by her knight-in-shining-armor Ian, who unfortunately has to leave due to a family emergency before they can exchange contact information. She’s left with his jacket and some clues that she and her cousin Linh use to track him down, but she finds out she misheard and his name is Ryan. After a few dates, Nina is invited for dinner with his family — where she meets his twin Ian.
I had so much fun with this book, especially with that plot! Nina is at a loss when she finds out she tracked down the wrong twin, especially since she and Ian have more of a connection, as much as she wants to deny it. I really enjoyed how she bonds with Ryan and Ian’s family; the author really captured the hectic chaos of a large Vietnamese family, down to Pictionary being banned after causing so much conflict.
Nina’s also struggling at home after her dad—whom her mother dated when he was married and then left them—comes back into the picture. Now that her parents are back together, they’ve moved to Houston and are only back in Austin for the summer. She loves being back home, even though there’s a lot of pain of missing her grandmother who passed recently. I enjoyed reading about her complex family dynamic and how she eventually works out her feelings with her parents.
The romance was also really cute! As much as Ryan is a nice guy, Nina definitely has more of a connection with Ian. They bicker constantly but underneath it all, they both understand what it’s like having to reconcile difficult family relationships and having uncertainties about their futures. There were so many scenes where I was laughing and so many others where I was like, get it together you two!
Overall, Just Another Meet Cute was a fun story with great characters and a cute, if at first rocky, romance. I enjoyed how they navigated complicated family dynamics. If you’re looking for a fun YA contemporary that’s perfect for the summer, you should definitely pick up Just Another Meet Cute!
oh I had so much fun with this one! fun ya contemporaries are so back!! I loved the characters and their relationships, especially nina and ian’s dynamic. also really captured the feeling of spending time with a large viet family <3
read on my blog
rep: biracial (Vietnamese, white) protagonist, Vietnamese-American love interest and side characters; (Vietnamese-American author)
**I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
The summary of Just Another Meet Cute sounded so bonkers that I knew I had to pick it up. On a disastrous hike, Nina is saved by her knight-in-shining-armor Ian, who unfortunately has to leave due to a family emergency before they can exchange contact information. She’s left with his jacket and some clues that she and her cousin Linh use to track him down, but she finds out she misheard and his name is Ryan. After a few dates, Nina is invited for dinner with his family — where she meets his twin Ian.
I had so much fun with this book, especially with that plot! Nina is at a loss when she finds out she tracked down the wrong twin, especially since she and Ian have more of a connection, as much as she wants to deny it. I really enjoyed how she bonds with Ryan and Ian’s family; the author really captured the hectic chaos of a large Vietnamese family, down to Pictionary being banned after causing so much conflict.
Nina’s also struggling at home after her dad—whom her mother dated when he was married and then left them—comes back into the picture. Now that her parents are back together, they’ve moved to Houston and are only back in Austin for the summer. She loves being back home, even though there’s a lot of pain of missing her grandmother who passed recently. I enjoyed reading about her complex family dynamic and how she eventually works out her feelings with her parents.
The romance was also really cute! As much as Ryan is a nice guy, Nina definitely has more of a connection with Ian. They bicker constantly but underneath it all, they both understand what it’s like having to reconcile difficult family relationships and having uncertainties about their futures. There were so many scenes where I was laughing and so many others where I was like, get it together you two!
Overall, Just Another Meet Cute was a fun story with great characters and a cute, if at first rocky, romance. I enjoyed how they navigated complicated family dynamics. If you’re looking for a fun YA contemporary that’s perfect for the summer, you should definitely pick up Just Another Meet Cute!
original review:
oh I had so much fun with this one! fun ya contemporaries are so back!! I loved the characters and their relationships, especially nina and ian’s dynamic. also really captured the feeling of spending time with a large viet family <3
August 22, 2025
3.25
This is the second book I've read by Nguyen, and while her signature humor in the writing came through, I have mixed feelings about this one overall.
What I liked:
Nina was very realistic about her emotions regarding her father. The complicated nature of their history was evident in her feelings. Her need for space and her reflections felt authentic and heartfelt. Nguyen really nailed those messy but real teenage feelings when it comes to difficult parental relationships.
Nguyen's writing style is witty and lighthearted. It kept the story moving and kept me entertained. I finished this book in 1 day.
It delivered on it's young adult rom com, complete with the awkward moments.
What I didn't like:
The synopsis is misleading. The whole wrong twin premise is revealed much earlier. Early enough that the truth should've been discussed earlier enough that it shouldn't be a 3rd act conflict. Nina only went on one date with Ryan before discovering Ian is the twin she met on the hike. With this, Nina continued to date Ryan while also developing a relationship/friendship with Ian. It was a little emotional cheating that was brushed aside too easily for me. The ending tried to justify it by saying Ryan wasn't invested. But for me, I wouldn't want to be dating someone - exclusive or not but they were using boyfriend/girlfriend terms - while finding out they are also developing some type of relationship to my twin no less. If the mistaken identity had been cleared up sooner and everyone was honest, the romance would've felt more satisfying.
Also, we discussed Nina's familial relationships and saw the journey she went on with healing them. But, we mentioned Ian & Ryan's family multiple times, but never really addressed what they could be going through. Making them more background noise and not fully developed. Their only purpose was to be entangled in Nina's life, not their own people.
Final:
This is a fun, quick YA contemporary romance with plenty of humor and heart, but the execution of the love triangle/mistaken identity trope didn't fully work for me. This book was carried by Nina's friendships and her journey with her family.
This is the second book I've read by Nguyen, and while her signature humor in the writing came through, I have mixed feelings about this one overall.
What I liked:
Nina was very realistic about her emotions regarding her father. The complicated nature of their history was evident in her feelings. Her need for space and her reflections felt authentic and heartfelt. Nguyen really nailed those messy but real teenage feelings when it comes to difficult parental relationships.
Nguyen's writing style is witty and lighthearted. It kept the story moving and kept me entertained. I finished this book in 1 day.
It delivered on it's young adult rom com, complete with the awkward moments.
What I didn't like:
The synopsis is misleading. The whole wrong twin premise is revealed much earlier. Early enough that the truth should've been discussed earlier enough that it shouldn't be a 3rd act conflict. Nina only went on one date with Ryan before discovering Ian is the twin she met on the hike. With this, Nina continued to date Ryan while also developing a relationship/friendship with Ian. It was a little emotional cheating that was brushed aside too easily for me. The ending tried to justify it by saying Ryan wasn't invested. But for me, I wouldn't want to be dating someone - exclusive or not but they were using boyfriend/girlfriend terms - while finding out they are also developing some type of relationship to my twin no less. If the mistaken identity had been cleared up sooner and everyone was honest, the romance would've felt more satisfying.
Also, we discussed Nina's familial relationships and saw the journey she went on with healing them. But, we mentioned Ian & Ryan's family multiple times, but never really addressed what they could be going through. Making them more background noise and not fully developed. Their only purpose was to be entangled in Nina's life, not their own people.
Final:
This is a fun, quick YA contemporary romance with plenty of humor and heart, but the execution of the love triangle/mistaken identity trope didn't fully work for me. This book was carried by Nina's friendships and her journey with her family.
May 19, 2025
This was an adorable romance! Here’s Nina, a gal who loves Sylvester Stallone movies, has a rough relationship with her father who has just come back into her life, who thinks she’s just ordinary, and meets not one, but two cute boys, and turns out they’re twins and she mixes them up!
I love how much was involved in this story. Yes it’s a very cute meet-cute romance, but it also has a lot funny quips and wittiness, as well as familial relationships that are tested and that grow.
Nina is hilarious. She made me laugh out loud so much and I just simply adored her. Did she make dumb mistakes? Yes. Did she do a lot without thinking first? Yes. Did she do a lot of things that maybe didn’t really make sense and yet did, but you’re still wondering why she’s doing what she’s doing when it’s obvious why she’s doing and should stop? Yes. But it’s what made her endearing. It’s like she was oblivious and yet not, or maybe she wanted to claim ignorance and yet knew what she was doing. I just thought she was adorable and maybe she handled things oddly, but I still liked her.
The romance was all over the place and was dramatic and hilarious. It was like a cross between a Hallmark movie and a K-drama. I mean we have the love triangle, the drama with families and the romance, the things that happened that only would happen in a K-drama and not real life, but wow did it make this an enjoyable read for me!
Maybe I just needed a refreshing read from what I’ve been reading lately, but this book was a breath of fresh air for me and I enjoyed every moment of it, and got some good laughs out of it too. And now I want a boy like Ian or Ryan to sweep me off my feet.
Definitely give this one a go! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love how much was involved in this story. Yes it’s a very cute meet-cute romance, but it also has a lot funny quips and wittiness, as well as familial relationships that are tested and that grow.
Nina is hilarious. She made me laugh out loud so much and I just simply adored her. Did she make dumb mistakes? Yes. Did she do a lot without thinking first? Yes. Did she do a lot of things that maybe didn’t really make sense and yet did, but you’re still wondering why she’s doing what she’s doing when it’s obvious why she’s doing and should stop? Yes. But it’s what made her endearing. It’s like she was oblivious and yet not, or maybe she wanted to claim ignorance and yet knew what she was doing. I just thought she was adorable and maybe she handled things oddly, but I still liked her.
The romance was all over the place and was dramatic and hilarious. It was like a cross between a Hallmark movie and a K-drama. I mean we have the love triangle, the drama with families and the romance, the things that happened that only would happen in a K-drama and not real life, but wow did it make this an enjoyable read for me!
Maybe I just needed a refreshing read from what I’ve been reading lately, but this book was a breath of fresh air for me and I enjoyed every moment of it, and got some good laughs out of it too. And now I want a boy like Ian or Ryan to sweep me off my feet.
Definitely give this one a go! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 23, 2025
💚 JUST ANOTHER MEET CUTE 💚
Imagine getting to meet the guy of your dreams, the one who bandaged your leg on a hike, let you borrow his jacket, and then disappeared into the woods before you could get his number…twice. And then you save his life this time. He just doesn’t remember you at all. Because, plot twist, it was actually his twin. Oops!
Don’t you just love accidentally ending up in love triangle with twin brothers? It happens to the best of us.
This book is so funny. I mean, there’s nothing like lightly stalking your crush to give him back his jacket, or taking Benadryl before a date and falling asleep on your crush’s twin for a couple hours. I had so much fun reading all of the chaos that ensues from Nina not confiding in Ryan about knowing Ian. Ian making her his personal butler for a while to buy his secrecy was just hilarious. Well played, Ian, well played.
Both brothers are perfect for Nina, but for entirely different reasons. There’s just no denying how much more chemistry she has with one over the other………and I was eating it up the whole time because he was my favorite 🫣 and I think this means I should read more love triangles because I’m currently batting 1000 with my choices.
But if you’re looking for a book with lovable characters (especially Nina’s cousin, Linh <3), lots of twin brother love triangle drama, and absolute chaos, this is the one!!
Thank you to @coloredpagesbt, @ireadya, and @jenn_pnguyen for the opportunity to be part of the #JustAnotherMeetCuteTour #coloredpagesbooktours 💚
Imagine getting to meet the guy of your dreams, the one who bandaged your leg on a hike, let you borrow his jacket, and then disappeared into the woods before you could get his number…twice. And then you save his life this time. He just doesn’t remember you at all. Because, plot twist, it was actually his twin. Oops!
Don’t you just love accidentally ending up in love triangle with twin brothers? It happens to the best of us.
This book is so funny. I mean, there’s nothing like lightly stalking your crush to give him back his jacket, or taking Benadryl before a date and falling asleep on your crush’s twin for a couple hours. I had so much fun reading all of the chaos that ensues from Nina not confiding in Ryan about knowing Ian. Ian making her his personal butler for a while to buy his secrecy was just hilarious. Well played, Ian, well played.
Both brothers are perfect for Nina, but for entirely different reasons. There’s just no denying how much more chemistry she has with one over the other………and I was eating it up the whole time because he was my favorite 🫣 and I think this means I should read more love triangles because I’m currently batting 1000 with my choices.
But if you’re looking for a book with lovable characters (especially Nina’s cousin, Linh <3), lots of twin brother love triangle drama, and absolute chaos, this is the one!!
Thank you to @coloredpagesbt, @ireadya, and @jenn_pnguyen for the opportunity to be part of the #JustAnotherMeetCuteTour #coloredpagesbooktours 💚
June 2, 2025
Nina was on a hiking trail when she met the guy that will change her life forever. Love at first sight is what happened, and fate was strong at play when she is tested between whom she loves more, the guy she actually met on the hiking trail or the guy she ended up saving because she was trying to track down the first guy after she was left with a stranger’s jacket.
This book reminds me of the 2000s romance books, like the classic Simon Romantic Comedies that I absolutely enjoyed reading during my teenage years. The writing style is of first person narrative filled with the protagonist Nina’s thought process and feelings during different events of the book. The portray of how she felt between Ian and Ryan was described beautifully as someone who is in love as a coming-of-age teen, young love at best. It was refreshing to read and my cup of tea! This book kept me engaged reading pages after pages for hours on end.
Aside from the plot being repeatedly told over and over again (Nina struggling to decide whom she loves more among the twins), I find the read to be easy on the eyes and quite entertaining. Though some parts can be frustrating as feelings of neglect and self-pity can be used so much that it kind of makes you want to be like “ok… we get it!” Overall, I find the reading to be well-written (aside from occasional sentence typos, which I hope was reread and corrected before the final copy was released) and perfect for teenagers.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy for review!
This book reminds me of the 2000s romance books, like the classic Simon Romantic Comedies that I absolutely enjoyed reading during my teenage years. The writing style is of first person narrative filled with the protagonist Nina’s thought process and feelings during different events of the book. The portray of how she felt between Ian and Ryan was described beautifully as someone who is in love as a coming-of-age teen, young love at best. It was refreshing to read and my cup of tea! This book kept me engaged reading pages after pages for hours on end.
Aside from the plot being repeatedly told over and over again (Nina struggling to decide whom she loves more among the twins), I find the read to be easy on the eyes and quite entertaining. Though some parts can be frustrating as feelings of neglect and self-pity can be used so much that it kind of makes you want to be like “ok… we get it!” Overall, I find the reading to be well-written (aside from occasional sentence typos, which I hope was reread and corrected before the final copy was released) and perfect for teenagers.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy for review!
August 22, 2025
Omg this was sooo cute. From the moment they met to the last moment in the book. It's so funny that she was an actual stalker in the beginning of the book, and it still didn't turn me off. That's how good the chemistry was between Ian and Nina. I was giggling throughout all their interactions. They were such fun together, and I'm glad that everything was resolved smoothly. Like truly, this book could've gotten messy with all the cheating, but it was done in a way that worked out. At least for the Ryan, Ian, Nina love triangle lol. The story between her mom and dad and other family is still questionable, but it's not the main plot, so I'll ignore it for now.
I really enjoyed reading this book, but ig the one turnoff I get reading YA is how the word love is used so liberally. If the math is correct, these two lovebirds have only known each other for max 2 months, and they're already in love with each other. Not to be a love hater, but that just seems a bit much, but whatever, I ship those two. I also gave it a 4 because of the stalking introduction lol - I really don't endorse it, but at least she was honest and transparent about it? Otherwise, like I said, this book was so much fun to read, and I'm so glad I picked it up! The synopsis was interesting, and it remained entertaining throughout. I highly recommend. You might cringe at Nina, but you get over it lollll. Ian is super charming and sarcastic, and ahhh I think dry humor is the way to my heart since it's also my love language. Ryan was a total sweetheart, and Linh was such a relatable meddler lolll. Overall, fun characters, fun premise, fun story!
I really enjoyed reading this book, but ig the one turnoff I get reading YA is how the word love is used so liberally. If the math is correct, these two lovebirds have only known each other for max 2 months, and they're already in love with each other. Not to be a love hater, but that just seems a bit much, but whatever, I ship those two. I also gave it a 4 because of the stalking introduction lol - I really don't endorse it, but at least she was honest and transparent about it? Otherwise, like I said, this book was so much fun to read, and I'm so glad I picked it up! The synopsis was interesting, and it remained entertaining throughout. I highly recommend. You might cringe at Nina, but you get over it lollll. Ian is super charming and sarcastic, and ahhh I think dry humor is the way to my heart since it's also my love language. Ryan was a total sweetheart, and Linh was such a relatable meddler lolll. Overall, fun characters, fun premise, fun story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2025
In this funny and charming new YA romance novel, readers meet Nina Riley in the middle of a disastrous hike. Rescued by Ian Nguyen, Nina can’t thank him or get his number before he takes off, so she uses everything she knows about him (name, jacket, keychain, laundromat receipt, and gym card) to do some good old fashioned detective work to track him down, but when she finally finds him, he’s totally different from how she remembered and even has a different name -- Ryan -- but the chemistry just isn’t there. As it turns out, Ryan and Ian aren’t just different people, they’re twins. With a bunch of tropes and great chemistry between the characters, readers will love Nina’s different dynamics with the twins and their extended family, and her backstory and relationships with other characters and her family really add depth to the novel. Relatable and grounded in reality, readers will really enjoy the atmosphere and emotional storyline in this entertaining new YA romance book. The mix of tropes and main storyline really draws readers in and creates a fun and exciting new novel with brilliant characters, great relationships, and fascinating character development that a variety of readers will enjoy.
Thanks to NetGalley, Scholastic, and Scholastic Press for the advance copy.
Thanks to NetGalley, Scholastic, and Scholastic Press for the advance copy.
August 10, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.8/5 — Ryan and Ian: Two Different Flavors of Swoon
This book had me fully invested — romance, drama, family chaos, and two main guys who wormed their way into my heart in completely different ways.
By Chapter 31, I thought I knew where my feelings stood — Ryan had quietly been building that perfect book-boyfriend momentum. Then Chapter 34 hit and he sealed the deal. But Ian… Ian had me from the start. He’s that warm, dependable, quietly magnetic, and funny guy who feels straight out of a K-drama — the type you find yourself thinking about when you least expect it. Where Ryan brought those unforgettable, heart-stopping moments, Ian gave me that safe, steady heartbeat that’s just as hard to let go of.
The “mom’s affair” reveal hit like a freight train, and I loved how the story balanced heartbreak with moments of joy. The only eyebrow raise? Ryan calling Ian an idiot for picking him over Nina — I get it, you also care about your brother’s happiness, but still… it felt odd to say as brothers.
Overall: 4.8 stars because both Ryan and Ian are that guy, just in different ways — one’s the electric moment-stealer, the other’s the comforting constant… and if this were a K-drama, I’d be praying for an impossible second male lead happy ending.
This book had me fully invested — romance, drama, family chaos, and two main guys who wormed their way into my heart in completely different ways.
By Chapter 31, I thought I knew where my feelings stood — Ryan had quietly been building that perfect book-boyfriend momentum. Then Chapter 34 hit and he sealed the deal. But Ian… Ian had me from the start. He’s that warm, dependable, quietly magnetic, and funny guy who feels straight out of a K-drama — the type you find yourself thinking about when you least expect it. Where Ryan brought those unforgettable, heart-stopping moments, Ian gave me that safe, steady heartbeat that’s just as hard to let go of.
The “mom’s affair” reveal hit like a freight train, and I loved how the story balanced heartbreak with moments of joy. The only eyebrow raise? Ryan calling Ian an idiot for picking him over Nina — I get it, you also care about your brother’s happiness, but still… it felt odd to say as brothers.
Overall: 4.8 stars because both Ryan and Ian are that guy, just in different ways — one’s the electric moment-stealer, the other’s the comforting constant… and if this were a K-drama, I’d be praying for an impossible second male lead happy ending.
July 15, 2025
When Nina meets Ian after he helps her with a sticky situation on a hiking trail, she feels a connection with him, but he leaves before she can get his number. The jacket he left behind with her has his keys, gym card, and a laundromat receipt, so Nina is certain that she and her cousin/best friend Linh can track him down. When she tracks him down, though, she learns his name is actually Ryan and that he doesn’t remember their initial meeting, but he does ask her out. After a few dates, Ryan takes her home to meet his family, including his grandma … and his twin brother, Ian.
I really liked the family dynamics/storylines in both families in this story. I did not enjoy That is a personal preference, though, and ignoring that, it was a cute book overall.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
I really liked the family dynamics/storylines in both families in this story. I did not enjoy That is a personal preference, though, and ignoring that, it was a cute book overall.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
September 8, 2025
Yay, a book set in Austin (and Houston, kinda...that part was confusing)!
Nina comes off very young-sounding (12-13 years old), so every time she talked about driving or parking, I was thrown for a loop. She simply doesn't have the gravitas of a 17 year old. Ryan and Ian are just adorable, too good to be true. If only all men could be as thoughtful, considerate, helpful, and loving as they are.
Also refreshing to read about a protagonist-adjacent (Nina's mom) who is the Other Woman and not the jilted woman. (Not a spoiler, this is mentioned in the beginning.)
What's a girl to do when she meets the perfect guy but doesn't get his last name or number? Try to track (stalk) him down, of course! And when that stalking works perfectly and you find him again, it's only natural to date him, right? And when you meet his large family, which is full of twins, you discover that your perfect guy is...also a twin. In fact, this explains a lot. Oops?
It has:
- swoony (and hot) cinnamon-roll boys + romance
- all the fun + hijinks of large families
- complex familial + racial identities
Nina comes off very young-sounding (12-13 years old), so every time she talked about driving or parking, I was thrown for a loop. She simply doesn't have the gravitas of a 17 year old. Ryan and Ian are just adorable, too good to be true. If only all men could be as thoughtful, considerate, helpful, and loving as they are.
Also refreshing to read about a protagonist-adjacent (Nina's mom) who is the Other Woman and not the jilted woman. (Not a spoiler, this is mentioned in the beginning.)
What's a girl to do when she meets the perfect guy but doesn't get his last name or number? Try to track (stalk) him down, of course! And when that stalking works perfectly and you find him again, it's only natural to date him, right? And when you meet his large family, which is full of twins, you discover that your perfect guy is...also a twin. In fact, this explains a lot. Oops?
It has:
- swoony (and hot) cinnamon-roll boys + romance
- all the fun + hijinks of large families
- complex familial + racial identities
August 11, 2025
Just another meet cute is my version of a Spanish novela!! As the title suggests it's a story about a meet cute that goes totally wrong for main character Nina 📖
Quick recap: After an unfortunate accident with a juice box 🧃 Nina meets a cute boy. They have a meet cute but when he leaves before Nina can get his number she knows she has to find a way to see him again. Through sheer determination Nina tracks him down but something is different about him; he doesn't seem to remember Nina at all!
My Thoughts 💭: A fun, witty YA that pulled at my heartstrings 🩷 I first fell in love with the illustration cover for just another meet cute and then I fell in love with Ian and Ryan! The cover is beautiful and each brother is perfectly drawn down to their opposite matching dimples!!
Tbh I was rooting for one boy more than the other but I loved both. Nina struggled with her feelings but I wasn't too surprised when she realized her true feelings.
I also loved the Nguyen family! Especially Kathy who is the epitome of overbearing but loving sister
Quick recap: After an unfortunate accident with a juice box 🧃 Nina meets a cute boy. They have a meet cute but when he leaves before Nina can get his number she knows she has to find a way to see him again. Through sheer determination Nina tracks him down but something is different about him; he doesn't seem to remember Nina at all!
My Thoughts 💭: A fun, witty YA that pulled at my heartstrings 🩷 I first fell in love with the illustration cover for just another meet cute and then I fell in love with Ian and Ryan! The cover is beautiful and each brother is perfectly drawn down to their opposite matching dimples!!
Tbh I was rooting for one boy more than the other but I loved both. Nina struggled with her feelings but I wasn't too surprised when she realized her true feelings.
I also loved the Nguyen family! Especially Kathy who is the epitome of overbearing but loving sister
April 9, 2025
Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own. I’m always on the lookout for a fun, clean romance to recommend to my students. However, I felt let like this one lacked real substance. While I think the story of Nina calling for and mixing up twins is a decent idea, there’s not much to these characters or these relationships in my opinion. And the story of her mom and dad felt like a lot of mystery build up that was a letdown. I feel like a lot of the tension in the ESmith could’ve easily been avoided. I kind of forced myself to get through this one bc I felt my interest waning. Some of it felt unrealistic also. I do feel some teens might like it, and it’s pretty clean, even in terms of language, but I like books I recommend to have more substance and a more interesting story, so I won’t be suggesting this one to students.
May 22, 2025
I enjoyed this book so much! it was cute and funny with a little touch of drama to keep us on the edge.
I really liked all the characters in this book, particularly Nina, probably because I felt like she was very relatable to me. The mix-up with the twin brothers? Yeah, could have totally happened to me 😂 Like, when you keep getting signals that something is definitely weird, but your brain is like "nah, don't worry, it's all good!" 😅 So, I definitely felt for my girl Nina!
I think the story was good! Nicely balanced between the love triangle and the side plot with Nina's dad coming back into the picture. Everything felt realistic and not overly exaggerated.
If you're looking for a YA story to make you laugh, gasp, and swoon, then look no further and give Just Another Meet Cute a go!
𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯.
I really liked all the characters in this book, particularly Nina, probably because I felt like she was very relatable to me. The mix-up with the twin brothers? Yeah, could have totally happened to me 😂 Like, when you keep getting signals that something is definitely weird, but your brain is like "nah, don't worry, it's all good!" 😅 So, I definitely felt for my girl Nina!
I think the story was good! Nicely balanced between the love triangle and the side plot with Nina's dad coming back into the picture. Everything felt realistic and not overly exaggerated.
If you're looking for a YA story to make you laugh, gasp, and swoon, then look no further and give Just Another Meet Cute a go!
𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯.
December 6, 2025
This book was a really good romance book and I really enjoyed it. The plot always had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next.
Now I am going to spoil some of the story but only because of your parent or guardian needs to know more about the book for you to read it.
Now a girl meets a guy on a hike and saves him a few days later from getting hit by a car but what she didn’t know was that she saved his twin so now she is trying to figure out how to not like the guys she met and have a relationship with his twin but there is no sex no making out in the end she ends up falling in love with the first guy and they kiss but that’s how physical it gets just about three kisses in the whole entire book.
I am sorry if you read my review and it spoiled the book for you. I hope you end up reading the book anyway.
Now I am going to spoil some of the story but only because of your parent or guardian needs to know more about the book for you to read it.
Now a girl meets a guy on a hike and saves him a few days later from getting hit by a car but what she didn’t know was that she saved his twin so now she is trying to figure out how to not like the guys she met and have a relationship with his twin but there is no sex no making out in the end she ends up falling in love with the first guy and they kiss but that’s how physical it gets just about three kisses in the whole entire book.
I am sorry if you read my review and it spoiled the book for you. I hope you end up reading the book anyway.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2025
3.75⭐️
The theme surrounding my May reads seems to be one of self revelations and growth. Just Another Meet Cute is a witty, humorous and sweet coming of age story, interwoven with strong family bonds.
Nina’s meet cute with Ian turns out to be not as perfect as she imagined, especially when she realizes she tracked down the wrong twin, Ryan. It’s too late to back out especially as Ryan is a really nice guy, but her undeniable connection with Ian only fuels her guilt. As each of them grapple with underlying family drama and uncertainty regarding their future, they soon discover that even the most disastrous of starts have a silver lining.
This was a wonderful debut by the author, and I’m excited to see what she has in store for us next.
The theme surrounding my May reads seems to be one of self revelations and growth. Just Another Meet Cute is a witty, humorous and sweet coming of age story, interwoven with strong family bonds.
Nina’s meet cute with Ian turns out to be not as perfect as she imagined, especially when she realizes she tracked down the wrong twin, Ryan. It’s too late to back out especially as Ryan is a really nice guy, but her undeniable connection with Ian only fuels her guilt. As each of them grapple with underlying family drama and uncertainty regarding their future, they soon discover that even the most disastrous of starts have a silver lining.
This was a wonderful debut by the author, and I’m excited to see what she has in store for us next.
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