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Chłopak, który może złamać wszystkie zasady. Ale też jej serce...
Doe Saltpeter wie jedno: dziewczyny z Weston nie poddadzą się bez walki. A na pewno nie chłopakom z Winfield, z którymi od lat toczą otwartą wojnę na żarty i psikusy. Kiedy jednak władze obu szkół ogłaszają, że te zostaną połączone, a na wierzch wychodzą sekrety jednego z nauczycieli, Doe nie ma wyboru – musi uderzyć ostatni raz. I to mocno.
Wszystko się komplikuje, gdy w jej życiu pojawia się Wells – kuzyn jej największego wroga. Przystojny, intrygujący… i z własnym planem. Zaczynają udawać parę, żeby zemścić się na kuzynie chłopaka. Jednak ich gra szybko wymyka się spod kontroli i w miejscu udawania pojawiają się uczucia.
A to, co miało być tylko zabawą, zaczyna boleć naprawdę.
Dla fanek motywów fake dating, enemies to lovers i buntowniczek, które walczą do końca! Wells to chodząca zielona flaga wśród książkowych chłopaków.
Doe Saltpeter wie jedno: dziewczyny z Weston nie poddadzą się bez walki. A na pewno nie chłopakom z Winfield, z którymi od lat toczą otwartą wojnę na żarty i psikusy. Kiedy jednak władze obu szkół ogłaszają, że te zostaną połączone, a na wierzch wychodzą sekrety jednego z nauczycieli, Doe nie ma wyboru – musi uderzyć ostatni raz. I to mocno.
Wszystko się komplikuje, gdy w jej życiu pojawia się Wells – kuzyn jej największego wroga. Przystojny, intrygujący… i z własnym planem. Zaczynają udawać parę, żeby zemścić się na kuzynie chłopaka. Jednak ich gra szybko wymyka się spod kontroli i w miejscu udawania pojawiają się uczucia.
A to, co miało być tylko zabawą, zaczyna boleć naprawdę.
Dla fanek motywów fake dating, enemies to lovers i buntowniczek, które walczą do końca! Wells to chodząca zielona flaga wśród książkowych chłopaków.
416 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 2022
208 people are currently reading
27641 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Markum
4 books462 followersSamantha Markum is the USA Today bestselling author of Love, Off the Record, You Wouldn't Dare, and This May End Badly. She was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, where she got her great literary start writing Newsies fan fiction in middle school. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing cozy video games, attempting to revive her half-dead house plants, and getting in bed before sunset. When she is writing, you can find her staring at the wall in search of inspiration. Visit her at samanthamarkum.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,364 reviews
March 4, 2023
Oh my gosh! I had amazing time! This is one of the most hilarious, intelligent, exciting story I’ve devoured!
This book guarantees to make you feel absolutely entertained with its
- Historical rivalry between boys and girls boarding schools ( Weston vs Winfield )
- Smart, jaw dropping, surprising , unique pranks both team members played against each other
- Emotional, heartfelt friendship bounding between girls
- A relatable, quick witted, tough heroine who is queen of banters: ladies and gentlemen, may I present you DOE my favorite heroine!
- Fake dating, enemies to lovers premise between Doe and Wells: I honestly say I loved them individually and but I loved them more as a couple: of course there were more smart banters, undeniable chemistry and I enjoyed their journey starting with being reluctant enemies and then become friends to work against Three but coming clean about their feelings and their big revelation part were so lovely!
If you want to get lost in delicious boarding school fights theme meets fake dating troupe with well developed great characters, realistic approach to the sensitive issues such as bullying, sexual assault, dysfunctional family problems, you shouldn’t miss this book!
One of the best and most realistic YA reads I lately had and I literally giggled so much and terrorized people around me with the gurgling sounds I made but it was truly worth it :)
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
This book guarantees to make you feel absolutely entertained with its
- Historical rivalry between boys and girls boarding schools ( Weston vs Winfield )
- Smart, jaw dropping, surprising , unique pranks both team members played against each other
- Emotional, heartfelt friendship bounding between girls
- A relatable, quick witted, tough heroine who is queen of banters: ladies and gentlemen, may I present you DOE my favorite heroine!
- Fake dating, enemies to lovers premise between Doe and Wells: I honestly say I loved them individually and but I loved them more as a couple: of course there were more smart banters, undeniable chemistry and I enjoyed their journey starting with being reluctant enemies and then become friends to work against Three but coming clean about their feelings and their big revelation part were so lovely!
If you want to get lost in delicious boarding school fights theme meets fake dating troupe with well developed great characters, realistic approach to the sensitive issues such as bullying, sexual assault, dysfunctional family problems, you shouldn’t miss this book!
One of the best and most realistic YA reads I lately had and I literally giggled so much and terrorized people around me with the gurgling sounds I made but it was truly worth it :)
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
January 24, 2022
this was fine. the idea of a prank war between two rival schools is fun enough for a YA book! its just that i found there to be too much going on in addition to that.
you have the prank war, a rivalry between the head boy and girl of their own schools, big groups of friends all going through their own thing, fake dating, family drama, school changes, and an inappropriate teacher (honestly, the final nail in the coffin).
theres just a lot of content in this that i feel could have been cut out without weakening the story, ESPECIALLY the subplot about the teacher. i found it to be very out of place and not really fitting with the overall vibe of the story. i think this book definitely could have benefited from a more simplistic execution. just keeping it to a prank war between two schools with a little bit of teenage romance would have been pretty solid.
but im sure the extra content will mean more readers will be able to connect with this. so while i personally didnt find it necessary, some other readers will probably enjoy it.
thanks for the ARC, st. martins press/wednesday books.
↠ 2.5 stars
you have the prank war, a rivalry between the head boy and girl of their own schools, big groups of friends all going through their own thing, fake dating, family drama, school changes, and an inappropriate teacher (honestly, the final nail in the coffin).
theres just a lot of content in this that i feel could have been cut out without weakening the story, ESPECIALLY the subplot about the teacher. i found it to be very out of place and not really fitting with the overall vibe of the story. i think this book definitely could have benefited from a more simplistic execution. just keeping it to a prank war between two schools with a little bit of teenage romance would have been pretty solid.
but im sure the extra content will mean more readers will be able to connect with this. so while i personally didnt find it necessary, some other readers will probably enjoy it.
thanks for the ARC, st. martins press/wednesday books.
↠ 2.5 stars
August 28, 2025
The Weston School for girls has been engaged in an epic prank battle with the boys across the street at Winfield Academy for a century. This battle is on-going, with literally generations of girls and boys taking part.
Now that Doe is in her Senior year at Weston, she's determine to win the battle once and for all. She's a prank master and determined doesn't even begin to describe Doe.
When the Weston headmistress makes an announcement that Weston and Winfield will be merging the following year, their campus descends into chaos. Chief among the dissenters, Miss Doe.
Doe is horrified. Weston and Winfield merging! She cannot possibly let that happen. Together with her best girlfriends, they vow to do whatever it takes to stop the merger.
One of Doe's targets is Three, the kingpin of Winfield Academy. Smart, wealthy, good-looking and popular, Three is the kind of boy that has the world in the palm of his hand.
Doe just wants to knock him down a notch or two. She ends up making a deal with Three's cousin, Wells, to fake date, thus getting under Three's skin and throwing him off his game. With Three out of sorts, Doe should easily be able to outsmart the Winfield boys.
As the pranks begin to escalate, so does Doe's so-called fake relationship with Wells. Will Doe lose sight of her goals, give them up entirely for a cute boy, or achieve everything she's ever wanted?
The May End Badly is such a fun and cute YA Contemporary. Wells is one of the most swoon-worthy boys I've come across in a long time and don't even get me started on how great this fake dating set-up was!
At first, I'll admit, I was a little confused by the passion Doe had for the prank battle, but the more I got to know about her as a character, the more it started to make sense.
Doe came to Weston after going through a very difficult time in her life. Her parents had recently divorced and Doe had been having some behavioral issues at her old school. Weston became a safe haven for her. A place where she could feel safe and grow.
She wants to be sure Weston can remain that safe space for girls into the future. However, has Doe let her own experience blind her to that of others?
There are some really great friendships in this story. Doe's friend group is very close, but still not afraid to call one another out on bad behavior. Wells also has a strong and interesting friend group, so it was nice to see that with both the boys and the girls.
I loved watching Doe and Wells relationship grow. There were moments when I absolutely wanted to shake her, but I was definitely on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen between them.
Additionally, I loved the humor in this novel. There is some great, witty banter, including moments that had me in stitches. I even loved the parents. They were funny and helpful, which was so nice to see.
My only slight criticism of this novel would be that there was an issue going on at the school, with a teacher possibly being inappropriate with students.
Nothing about that storyline felt natural to me in the context of the rest of what was going on. This is obviously just my opinion, but it felt very forced.
It felt like there needed to be some tension at school, a villain, and this character was it. Oh and along the way we can stuff in some heavy social commentary.
It felt completely out of place with the rest of the story. I don't know. I feel like I could have enjoyed this even more without that in there. It just felt disjointed to me.
Phew, that was uncomfortable to say, but overall, yesssss, I had so much fun with this one. I became so attached to Doe and completely head over heels in love with Wells.
Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to reading more from Samantha Markum in the future!
Now that Doe is in her Senior year at Weston, she's determine to win the battle once and for all. She's a prank master and determined doesn't even begin to describe Doe.
When the Weston headmistress makes an announcement that Weston and Winfield will be merging the following year, their campus descends into chaos. Chief among the dissenters, Miss Doe.
Doe is horrified. Weston and Winfield merging! She cannot possibly let that happen. Together with her best girlfriends, they vow to do whatever it takes to stop the merger.
One of Doe's targets is Three, the kingpin of Winfield Academy. Smart, wealthy, good-looking and popular, Three is the kind of boy that has the world in the palm of his hand.
Doe just wants to knock him down a notch or two. She ends up making a deal with Three's cousin, Wells, to fake date, thus getting under Three's skin and throwing him off his game. With Three out of sorts, Doe should easily be able to outsmart the Winfield boys.
As the pranks begin to escalate, so does Doe's so-called fake relationship with Wells. Will Doe lose sight of her goals, give them up entirely for a cute boy, or achieve everything she's ever wanted?
The May End Badly is such a fun and cute YA Contemporary. Wells is one of the most swoon-worthy boys I've come across in a long time and don't even get me started on how great this fake dating set-up was!
At first, I'll admit, I was a little confused by the passion Doe had for the prank battle, but the more I got to know about her as a character, the more it started to make sense.
Doe came to Weston after going through a very difficult time in her life. Her parents had recently divorced and Doe had been having some behavioral issues at her old school. Weston became a safe haven for her. A place where she could feel safe and grow.
She wants to be sure Weston can remain that safe space for girls into the future. However, has Doe let her own experience blind her to that of others?
There are some really great friendships in this story. Doe's friend group is very close, but still not afraid to call one another out on bad behavior. Wells also has a strong and interesting friend group, so it was nice to see that with both the boys and the girls.
I loved watching Doe and Wells relationship grow. There were moments when I absolutely wanted to shake her, but I was definitely on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen between them.
Additionally, I loved the humor in this novel. There is some great, witty banter, including moments that had me in stitches. I even loved the parents. They were funny and helpful, which was so nice to see.
My only slight criticism of this novel would be that there was an issue going on at the school, with a teacher possibly being inappropriate with students.
Nothing about that storyline felt natural to me in the context of the rest of what was going on. This is obviously just my opinion, but it felt very forced.
It felt like there needed to be some tension at school, a villain, and this character was it. Oh and along the way we can stuff in some heavy social commentary.
It felt completely out of place with the rest of the story. I don't know. I feel like I could have enjoyed this even more without that in there. It just felt disjointed to me.
Phew, that was uncomfortable to say, but overall, yesssss, I had so much fun with this one. I became so attached to Doe and completely head over heels in love with Wells.
Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to reading more from Samantha Markum in the future!
April 25, 2022
am NOT forgiving the author for that unresolved sexual tension with Three
March 5, 2025
I didn’t pick up on the multiple autumn vibes my first read, but my reread definitely reminded me of the fall fest, Halloween scene, and Thanksgiving!
Also Wells getting detention so that Doe would be safe and uncomfortable from the predatory teacher was peak romance to me 😩
Update: I searched in the ebook and still didn’t find evidence of what school Wells got into?? It did have mention of them getting alone time at college, but this was before she even told him where she was going??
“Will I ever get a solid hour alone with you again?” Wells complains as he pulls out of the parking lot and heads toward the center of town. “Sure,” I reply. “When we’re at college, probably. Maybe over the summer, if my dad lets you visit.”
I may shoot my shot and DM the author bc I need clarification lol.
Updated update: I shot my shoot and Samantha answered like an angel! I totally missed it (I searched college in the eBook so I tried lol) but Wells is going to Oberlin which is close to Ann Arbor (2ish hours)! Before today I had no clue Ann Arbor was in Michigan (I definitely thought Maryland???) lmao but apparently Oberlin is close in Ohio, which is also where Three ends up. Wow she’s a runner she’s a geography star.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
______
OG review:
I’m absolutely obsessed Wells can absolutely get it and I’m absolutely in love with the romance. This will absolutely be a reread and I am absolutely going to procure a copy of my own.
I just wanted a bit more at the end in terms of where are they as a couple going to end up. We didn’t really get an epilogue, let alone a solid conclusion to their story. Obviously they’re together 4ever and if you suggest anything else I will go feral cat on you, but I like everything to be concrete and wrapped with a bow. I just want to know where he’s going to college that’s really all I want??? There seemed to be some reference of them at college together but I’m not sure. BUT if I missed it earlier on (he knew where he was going earlier I just can’t search in the audiobook, please let me know!)
Also Wells getting detention so that Doe would be safe and uncomfortable from the predatory teacher was peak romance to me 😩
Update: I searched in the ebook and still didn’t find evidence of what school Wells got into?? It did have mention of them getting alone time at college, but this was before she even told him where she was going??
“Will I ever get a solid hour alone with you again?” Wells complains as he pulls out of the parking lot and heads toward the center of town. “Sure,” I reply. “When we’re at college, probably. Maybe over the summer, if my dad lets you visit.”
I may shoot my shot and DM the author bc I need clarification lol.
Updated update: I shot my shoot and Samantha answered like an angel! I totally missed it (I searched college in the eBook so I tried lol) but Wells is going to Oberlin which is close to Ann Arbor (2ish hours)! Before today I had no clue Ann Arbor was in Michigan (I definitely thought Maryland???) lmao but apparently Oberlin is close in Ohio, which is also where Three ends up. Wow she’s a runner she’s a geography star.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
______
OG review:
I’m absolutely obsessed Wells can absolutely get it and I’m absolutely in love with the romance. This will absolutely be a reread and I am absolutely going to procure a copy of my own.
I just wanted a bit more at the end in terms of where are they as a couple going to end up. We didn’t really get an epilogue, let alone a solid conclusion to their story. Obviously they’re together 4ever and if you suggest anything else I will go feral cat on you, but I like everything to be concrete and wrapped with a bow. I just want to know where he’s going to college that’s really all I want??? There seemed to be some reference of them at college together but I’m not sure. BUT if I missed it earlier on (he knew where he was going earlier I just can’t search in the audiobook, please let me know!)
February 8, 2022
4.25 stars
When I tell you I had so much fun reading this book!! It was seriously a blast. Sure, there was growth and emotion and even a little bit of difficult subject matter, but overall it was such a good time. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face through most of it.
Doe goes to an all girls boarding school and it’s her senior year. She’s sort of the ringmaster of the rival going on with the boy’s school across the street. And then she finds out that they’re going to merge. Doe just can’t have that.
So she does the unthinkable and dates one of the guys from the boys school. Not just one, one of the most popular ones that’s cousins with her arch-nemesis. Dating Wells has it’s perks. And they both need something out of this arrangement so it’s not like either one is using the other. But what happens when fake dating starts turning into real feelings?
I love love love the fake dating troupe and Wells was seriously the best part about this book! Also, I loved that a chunk of this story took place in Cincinnati! It's always fun to recognize your surroundings as you read and when a book takes place around where you live.
This story as about standing up for what’s right, friendship, and fallen in love. It was such a fantastic debut novel and I recommend it to all lovers of YA.
When I tell you I had so much fun reading this book!! It was seriously a blast. Sure, there was growth and emotion and even a little bit of difficult subject matter, but overall it was such a good time. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face through most of it.
Doe goes to an all girls boarding school and it’s her senior year. She’s sort of the ringmaster of the rival going on with the boy’s school across the street. And then she finds out that they’re going to merge. Doe just can’t have that.
So she does the unthinkable and dates one of the guys from the boys school. Not just one, one of the most popular ones that’s cousins with her arch-nemesis. Dating Wells has it’s perks. And they both need something out of this arrangement so it’s not like either one is using the other. But what happens when fake dating starts turning into real feelings?
I love love love the fake dating troupe and Wells was seriously the best part about this book! Also, I loved that a chunk of this story took place in Cincinnati! It's always fun to recognize your surroundings as you read and when a book takes place around where you live.
This story as about standing up for what’s right, friendship, and fallen in love. It was such a fantastic debut novel and I recommend it to all lovers of YA.
December 30, 2021
DNF
I was about 60% of the way through, and then I just skimmed the rest. It's not a bad book, the characters are great and the banter is hilarious. However, there's simply too much going on. Unfortunately, because of this I wasn't able to fully immerse myself in the story.
I was about 60% of the way through, and then I just skimmed the rest. It's not a bad book, the characters are great and the banter is hilarious. However, there's simply too much going on. Unfortunately, because of this I wasn't able to fully immerse myself in the story.
April 29, 2022
"As for Winfield, no one really knows when the rivalry began. Some say a Weston girl was deeply scorned by a Winfield boy long ago, and that's when the animosity started. Others say it's simply the way of the world when you put two of anything across the road from one another-one always has to be better."
Two schools involved in a pranking rivalry featuring YA fake dating tropes? Yes please! I absolutely adored the idea behind This May End Badly, and found myself engrossed in the many different plot threads that are going on here. Lots of scenes involving issues that YA readers need to tackle, while also forming a cute enemies-to-lovers relationship between main characters that you just have to root for.
Honestly, if this book had left out the predatory teacher plot line, I would have given this book somewhere between 4-5 stars, but I could not shake how inappropriate it felt to include this plot while also not showing teenaged readers how to speak up and ask for help, followed by parents and other adults shaming them with "why didn't you say anything?" All in all, would read another book from this author in a heartbeat.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy. I also found a free audiobook version of this book through my library's Hoopla account.
Two schools involved in a pranking rivalry featuring YA fake dating tropes? Yes please! I absolutely adored the idea behind This May End Badly, and found myself engrossed in the many different plot threads that are going on here. Lots of scenes involving issues that YA readers need to tackle, while also forming a cute enemies-to-lovers relationship between main characters that you just have to root for.
Honestly, if this book had left out the predatory teacher plot line, I would have given this book somewhere between 4-5 stars, but I could not shake how inappropriate it felt to include this plot while also not showing teenaged readers how to speak up and ask for help, followed by parents and other adults shaming them with "why didn't you say anything?" All in all, would read another book from this author in a heartbeat.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy. I also found a free audiobook version of this book through my library's Hoopla account.
May 26, 2023
i’m so sorry but this was just so boring to me 😭 i didn’t realize this was fake dating until after i started either
April 19, 2022
*depressed intense staring*
I am in agony.
I am in agony.
March 26, 2023
now i get why straight girls giggle and kick their feet
November 12, 2022
get you a man that reads romance books for you !!!
okay so i liked this book, and i liked the messages behind it, the teaming up for a cause of throwing out a pervy teacher. however, my problems with this book lie in the fact that wells and doe are cute together, but three and doe had soooooooo much more potential and chemistry. it was distracting.
wells was so cute and adorable, but three was more suitable for doe, even though nothing romantic happened between them. anyways i think i just love rivals to lovers a lot.
okay so i liked this book, and i liked the messages behind it, the teaming up for a cause of throwing out a pervy teacher. however, my problems with this book lie in the fact that wells and doe are cute together, but three and doe had soooooooo much more potential and chemistry. it was distracting.
wells was so cute and adorable, but three was more suitable for doe, even though nothing romantic happened between them. anyways i think i just love rivals to lovers a lot.
May 12, 2022
i’m 100% sure i’ve seen “all’s fair in love and prank wars” on at least 40 books on wattpad in 2011. no other comments.
September 14, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
TW: SA, predatory behavior
So first off, I just want to say that I DNF’ed this book at 56%. I was really excited to read this because the premise sounded super interesting, but I was heavily let down. The story is about two rivalry schools, Weston (an all girl school) vs. Winfield (an all boy school). Both schools have yearly prank wars against each other to prove one’s superiority over the other. There is a fake dating scheme that happens between the mc, Doe, and Wells from the rivalry school. I thought this would be a fun enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers, fake dating, dark academia story and while it is, I feel like it missed the mark. My first issue was with the main character, Doe. She was super unlikable and selfish. Her actions were purely to benefit herself, and she didn’t care about who else they affected. Second, I’m all for fake dating, but I hated the way it was done in this book. The reason behind them fake dating seemed very immature. Third, I found myself easily getting bored while reading. Lastly, there was a subplot developing about a teacher who is a sexual predator. This caught me so off guard, as I wasn’t expecting this book to deal with that issue. That alone just made me lose interest in reading the rest. While I couldn’t bring myself to finish the story, there were some things I enjoyed. I thought this book did a good job of having diversity within the characters. The prank wars were fun and entertaining. And the romance developing between Doe and Wells had its cute moments. Based on the 56% I read, I’d give this 2/5 stars.
TW: SA, predatory behavior
So first off, I just want to say that I DNF’ed this book at 56%. I was really excited to read this because the premise sounded super interesting, but I was heavily let down. The story is about two rivalry schools, Weston (an all girl school) vs. Winfield (an all boy school). Both schools have yearly prank wars against each other to prove one’s superiority over the other. There is a fake dating scheme that happens between the mc, Doe, and Wells from the rivalry school. I thought this would be a fun enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers, fake dating, dark academia story and while it is, I feel like it missed the mark. My first issue was with the main character, Doe. She was super unlikable and selfish. Her actions were purely to benefit herself, and she didn’t care about who else they affected. Second, I’m all for fake dating, but I hated the way it was done in this book. The reason behind them fake dating seemed very immature. Third, I found myself easily getting bored while reading. Lastly, there was a subplot developing about a teacher who is a sexual predator. This caught me so off guard, as I wasn’t expecting this book to deal with that issue. That alone just made me lose interest in reading the rest. While I couldn’t bring myself to finish the story, there were some things I enjoyed. I thought this book did a good job of having diversity within the characters. The prank wars were fun and entertaining. And the romance developing between Doe and Wells had its cute moments. Based on the 56% I read, I’d give this 2/5 stars.
December 29, 2022
stupidly obsessed with this book. putting this on my "best friends brother" shelf because "enemies cousin" somehow satisfies that trope in my mind. this is a 4 star book but catch me giving it 5 stars.
April 11, 2022
I really wish I didn't have to write this review!
Because this book is so satisfying, lovely, perfectly YA, filled with complex characters and complex emotions. It captures this senior in high school essence-the kid, not quite kid of it all. Complicated families and relationships...
It is just really sweet. Doe, the main character, is really imperfect and makes a lot of mistakes. There are long-standing fights between her and her friends in the book, and we get to see an organic and rewarding progression in a YA relationship.
The plot had enough tension that it really kept me reading, I could never wait to get back to this book, and it will be memorable for a long while. At the same time, it was skillfully handled in pacing that it never suffered from too much humor or intensity. It was really a great balance.
And it was a debut?!!?
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the copy, which has not affected my review.
Because this book is so satisfying, lovely, perfectly YA, filled with complex characters and complex emotions. It captures this senior in high school essence-the kid, not quite kid of it all. Complicated families and relationships...
It is just really sweet. Doe, the main character, is really imperfect and makes a lot of mistakes. There are long-standing fights between her and her friends in the book, and we get to see an organic and rewarding progression in a YA relationship.
The plot had enough tension that it really kept me reading, I could never wait to get back to this book, and it will be memorable for a long while. At the same time, it was skillfully handled in pacing that it never suffered from too much humor or intensity. It was really a great balance.
And it was a debut?!!?
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the copy, which has not affected my review.
November 15, 2021
thank you netgalley, st. martin’s press, and samantha markum for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review - i really enjoyed this book! it was super fun and engaging, plus the fake dating trope is one of my favorites. doe and wells had such a cute and realistic relationship and i loved seeing them progress throughout the novel.
also, the historic rivalry between the two schools really pulled me in and i loved seeing the prank war between them. the friendship between doe and her friends was super heartfelt, despite their problems, and it was great getting to see that as well.
overall, this novel was realistic, emotional, and funny! i enjoyed it a lot and recommend it when it releases on april 12th.
also, the historic rivalry between the two schools really pulled me in and i loved seeing the prank war between them. the friendship between doe and her friends was super heartfelt, despite their problems, and it was great getting to see that as well.
overall, this novel was realistic, emotional, and funny! i enjoyed it a lot and recommend it when it releases on april 12th.
April 17, 2022
This book was so cute! I loved the main character, Doe. A senior at an all-girls boarding school, Doe and her friends love to play pranks on their rival school which happens to be a boarding school for boys.
Things get serious when Doe and her friends learn of the upcoming merger of the two rival schools. Doe is determined to not let that happen.
This book is a perfect blend of humor, family bonds, budding romance and making a stand. I really enjoyed it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Things get serious when Doe and her friends learn of the upcoming merger of the two rival schools. Doe is determined to not let that happen.
This book is a perfect blend of humor, family bonds, budding romance and making a stand. I really enjoyed it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This May End Badly was so much fun to dive into. I think I might just be a sucker for all kinds of chaos when it comes to rivalries. Plus, a school one where they are right across the street from each other sounds like a lot of fun. Or maybe it's just me?
After meeting the mastermind of almost all the great pranks, it didn't take me long to actually like Doe. The girl had so many secrets throughout the book that I just kept waiting for them to come out to play. Which, yes, they did in a very chaotic way but I was glad that everything was out in the open. It just sucks that all the drama unfolded into her group of friends.
Besides her, I also really liked getting to know Wells. Yeah, he was from the all boys school but together they just made me smile. He definitely helped her out of her revenge shell and I just think they were becoming true friends. Even though they were fake dating and that actually never ends up being fake.
Other than that, I hate the creepy ass teacher and I was so proud of everyone standing up. It honestly went on for way too long and I'm still suspicious of the girls headmaster. Ugh. Then there's the way this book freaking ended and I'm just dying. I can definitely see the rivalry between two schools going on forever and ever.
May their college days never be boring.
This May End Badly was so much fun to dive into. I think I might just be a sucker for all kinds of chaos when it comes to rivalries. Plus, a school one where they are right across the street from each other sounds like a lot of fun. Or maybe it's just me?
After meeting the mastermind of almost all the great pranks, it didn't take me long to actually like Doe. The girl had so many secrets throughout the book that I just kept waiting for them to come out to play. Which, yes, they did in a very chaotic way but I was glad that everything was out in the open. It just sucks that all the drama unfolded into her group of friends.
Besides her, I also really liked getting to know Wells. Yeah, he was from the all boys school but together they just made me smile. He definitely helped her out of her revenge shell and I just think they were becoming true friends. Even though they were fake dating and that actually never ends up being fake.
Other than that, I hate the creepy ass teacher and I was so proud of everyone standing up. It honestly went on for way too long and I'm still suspicious of the girls headmaster. Ugh. Then there's the way this book freaking ended and I'm just dying. I can definitely see the rivalry between two schools going on forever and ever.
May their college days never be boring.
February 21, 2022
I really liked this book! It was both humorous and serious. It had romance with some emotional depth as well.
I loved the big friend group in this story. While Doe was the main character, each of her friends felt real and genuine as well. They each had their own stories that I would love to see explored in a companion novel! I was a big fan of Doe’s character arc. She learned a lot over the course of the book about herself and others. It was really cool to see her friends call her out at one point to help her realize that she needed to change how she was acting.
This features the fake dating trope which never gets old for me. I love the tension as they’re each falling for each other but pretending they’re not. Wells was such a great love interest. He was so swoon-worthy, everyone deserves a Wells.
I definitely liked the boarding school setting. An academic setting is always one that I like reading about but the book expanded into the town around the schools which was really nice too.
This was a fun book about rivals and prank wars but it also covered a more serious topic of sexual abuse. It wasn’t a main plot point until the last quarter or so of the book but I appreciated that it was included. It’s something that unfortunately happens far too often in the real world and bringing awareness to it in fiction is important.
I would recommend This May End Badly to readers who liked Today Tonight Tomorrow, Not Here to Be Liked or Tweet Cute!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I loved the big friend group in this story. While Doe was the main character, each of her friends felt real and genuine as well. They each had their own stories that I would love to see explored in a companion novel! I was a big fan of Doe’s character arc. She learned a lot over the course of the book about herself and others. It was really cool to see her friends call her out at one point to help her realize that she needed to change how she was acting.
This features the fake dating trope which never gets old for me. I love the tension as they’re each falling for each other but pretending they’re not. Wells was such a great love interest. He was so swoon-worthy, everyone deserves a Wells.
I definitely liked the boarding school setting. An academic setting is always one that I like reading about but the book expanded into the town around the schools which was really nice too.
This was a fun book about rivals and prank wars but it also covered a more serious topic of sexual abuse. It wasn’t a main plot point until the last quarter or so of the book but I appreciated that it was included. It’s something that unfortunately happens far too often in the real world and bringing awareness to it in fiction is important.
I would recommend This May End Badly to readers who liked Today Tonight Tomorrow, Not Here to Be Liked or Tweet Cute!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
March 21, 2022
ALL THE STARS. Could not put it down. Loved loved loved it!!!
July 29, 2024
Zabawne ya o dwóch rywalizujących ze sobą szkołach - męskiej i damskiej. Nie wszystkie rozwiązania fabularne mi się podobały, ale przeczytałam tę ksiażkę przy jednym posiedzeniu. Byłam ciekawa, co zdarzy się dalej, autorka fajnie pokazała przyjaźń, a bohaterowie nie byli jednowymiarowi.
October 26, 2023
Yup! Not for me. The writing style is too jumble (that is the best way I can descripe). I am sure the story is funny and light hearted but I can not connect with either characters.
The rivalry between schools is told in fun way. Sadly, not for me.
Moving on
2 stars
The rivalry between schools is told in fun way. Sadly, not for me.
Moving on
2 stars
April 8, 2024
love love love love love love this so much
July 8, 2022
When my best friend begged me to read a ‘happy’ book before resuming my never-ending TBR of sob-worthy high fantasy and manga, I quickly caved. And all due the cheesy tagline: “All is fair in love and prank wars,” …I’m a little disappointed in myself, but what can I say! This was a super fun read.
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
This May End Badly follows high school senior Doe and her band of enthusiastic friends, as they push to win the century-long prank war between the Weston girls and Winfield boys boarding schools. Doe’s grand plans are upended when her headmaster announces the rivals will become one next year, with an official merger making the neigbouring schools a joint co-ed body. To make it blatantly clear that Weston and Winfield shouldn’t mix, Doe organizes a fake-dating scheme with her greatest enemy’s cousin, aiming to get under his skin and stir up some trouble. What begins as something harmless eventually spirals out of control, as Doe begins getting tripped up in her lies while falling for the boy who she was never supposed to have.
────── {⋆★⋆} ──────
When any protagonist starts to make stupid choices, its usually a sign I’m going to hate a book. It’s hard to be entertained when the majority of my time is spent wishing I could scream at the main character for their decisions, and yet we have this book, ✨ an outlier ✨. The official synopsis says that Doe’s journey surrounds “crossing pretty much every line presented to you—and how to atone when you do”, which feels really fitting for how things played out. A couple chapters in, I found myself disagreeing with her a lot, though Markum’s storytelling kept my interest in another way.
I found that for every fault I picked out in Doe, a side character voiced it directly to her. This was a strange dynamic for me as the reader, since I’m not used to the author being on essentially the same wavelength as me?? Because of this, I was unreasonably engaged by the argument scenes (feeling a kind of rush at witnessing Doe’s friends, family and classmates call her out for pretty much everything that would irk me). Still, I actually did like her character, and found myself sympathizing with her as the story progressed. The struggle of piecing together your future as a high schooler is extremely daunting, and so I couldn’t blame Doe for being passionate about the prank war (which others deemed childish), since it was her way of clinging to youth before the responsibilities of acting as an adult in university.
The romance was really cute!! I adored the chemistry between Wells and Doe; their easy banter put a smile on my face more than a few times. By the time their fake-dating scheme transitioning into something more, I was deeply invested in their relationship. Doe’s friends were also great! I love a fun story that also manages to pack in some real meaning, which This May End Badly does wonderfully. The only thing I would have changed about is the creepy teacher storyline, I didn’t find it necessary to the story until the very ending, since it kind of meshed weirdly with the overall tone of the novel. Otherwise, this was a great contemporary!
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
This May End Badly follows high school senior Doe and her band of enthusiastic friends, as they push to win the century-long prank war between the Weston girls and Winfield boys boarding schools. Doe’s grand plans are upended when her headmaster announces the rivals will become one next year, with an official merger making the neigbouring schools a joint co-ed body. To make it blatantly clear that Weston and Winfield shouldn’t mix, Doe organizes a fake-dating scheme with her greatest enemy’s cousin, aiming to get under his skin and stir up some trouble. What begins as something harmless eventually spirals out of control, as Doe begins getting tripped up in her lies while falling for the boy who she was never supposed to have.
────── {⋆★⋆} ──────
When any protagonist starts to make stupid choices, its usually a sign I’m going to hate a book. It’s hard to be entertained when the majority of my time is spent wishing I could scream at the main character for their decisions, and yet we have this book, ✨ an outlier ✨. The official synopsis says that Doe’s journey surrounds “crossing pretty much every line presented to you—and how to atone when you do”, which feels really fitting for how things played out. A couple chapters in, I found myself disagreeing with her a lot, though Markum’s storytelling kept my interest in another way.
I found that for every fault I picked out in Doe, a side character voiced it directly to her. This was a strange dynamic for me as the reader, since I’m not used to the author being on essentially the same wavelength as me?? Because of this, I was unreasonably engaged by the argument scenes (feeling a kind of rush at witnessing Doe’s friends, family and classmates call her out for pretty much everything that would irk me). Still, I actually did like her character, and found myself sympathizing with her as the story progressed. The struggle of piecing together your future as a high schooler is extremely daunting, and so I couldn’t blame Doe for being passionate about the prank war (which others deemed childish), since it was her way of clinging to youth before the responsibilities of acting as an adult in university.
The romance was really cute!! I adored the chemistry between Wells and Doe; their easy banter put a smile on my face more than a few times. By the time their fake-dating scheme transitioning into something more, I was deeply invested in their relationship. Doe’s friends were also great! I love a fun story that also manages to pack in some real meaning, which This May End Badly does wonderfully. The only thing I would have changed about is the creepy teacher storyline, I didn’t find it necessary to the story until the very ending, since it kind of meshed weirdly with the overall tone of the novel. Otherwise, this was a great contemporary!
May 11, 2022
I actually really thought I wasn't going to like this book, but it's EVERYTHING I LOVE in a contemporary YA novel.
I believe the moral of the story is "the people you love are more important than the country you love."-unknown,( I read it somewhere. ) But in this case it's the school she attends. I think it was very well explored as a plot.
I believe the moral of the story is "the people you love are more important than the country you love."-unknown,( I read it somewhere. ) But in this case it's the school she attends. I think it was very well explored as a plot.
July 23, 2024
AYOOO!! 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙨!!???
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺 follows Doe, a senior at an all-girls boarding school, along with her motley group of friends whose lives have revolved around a century-long rivalry with the boy's school across the street ever since they met.
But when Doe embarks on a fake-dating scheme to get under her worst enemy's skin, she must contend with the lies she's told, as well as the future of her beloved friendships and school.
This might just be for you, if you enjoy:
✓ fake dating trope
✓ squad goalss
✓ boarding school hijinks
✓ women dominating the patriarchy
✓ prank wars
- ~ -
"𝙃𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙮𝙗𝙪𝙣, 𝙡𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙚."
𝙃𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚."𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙤 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩?"
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚. 𝘿𝙤 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪?'
𝙃𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙨. "𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙮𝙗𝙪𝙣?"
𝙄 𝙚𝙮𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢. "𝙄 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣, 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙝. 𝘿𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮."
Doe is bold and wild, just like her hair.
She's loyal to her very core and extremely protective of her loved ones but just as anyone else her age, she's also made some morally questionable choices. Yes, she has messed up several times throughout the book but I feel those decisions only added to her character development.
On the other hand, we've got Wells, he's charming, sweet and flirtatious. He acts like things don't affect him but he's super caring deep down and besting Three, his archnemesis just might be his life's motto.
Both characters are fun, engaging individuals and together they are all synonyms of adorable. Their banter, their bickering was supreme!!
- ~ -
There will neverrrr be a boarding school based book that I'll reject so it's no surprise I ended up loving this one too. I practically inhaled it within five-ish hours! The book does not solely revolve around romantic relationships, it also tackles family and career prospects which was well appreciated.
We've also a great, diverse selection of tertiary characters. From the nail-biting-because-I'm-nervous, Gemma to little-Miss-shock-humour, Sumitra, each character has their own unique traits which adds personality to the story, rather than some characters with a generic presence.
- ~ -
The only issue, however, I had with the story was that Doe's sexual tension with Three was not addressed??? like hello? when did it fade? we don't get to know that bit and it *may* create confusion for some.
But overall a great YA contemporary debut, with a cute romance and supreme friend goals and strong opinions. I surely can't wait for the author's next work.
Mark your calendars, it's out 4/12.
𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 (𝗼𝗳𝗳-𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲)
4.21/5✩
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 & 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺 follows Doe, a senior at an all-girls boarding school, along with her motley group of friends whose lives have revolved around a century-long rivalry with the boy's school across the street ever since they met.
But when Doe embarks on a fake-dating scheme to get under her worst enemy's skin, she must contend with the lies she's told, as well as the future of her beloved friendships and school.
This might just be for you, if you enjoy:
✓ fake dating trope
✓ squad goalss
✓ boarding school hijinks
✓ women dominating the patriarchy
✓ prank wars
- ~ -
"𝙃𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙮𝙗𝙪𝙣, 𝙡𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙚."
𝙃𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚."𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙤 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩?"
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚. 𝘿𝙤 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪?'
𝙃𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙨. "𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙮𝙗𝙪𝙣?"
𝙄 𝙚𝙮𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢. "𝙄 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣, 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙝. 𝘿𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮."
Doe is bold and wild, just like her hair.
She's loyal to her very core and extremely protective of her loved ones but just as anyone else her age, she's also made some morally questionable choices. Yes, she has messed up several times throughout the book but I feel those decisions only added to her character development.
On the other hand, we've got Wells, he's charming, sweet and flirtatious. He acts like things don't affect him but he's super caring deep down and besting Three, his archnemesis just might be his life's motto.
Both characters are fun, engaging individuals and together they are all synonyms of adorable. Their banter, their bickering was supreme!!
- ~ -
There will neverrrr be a boarding school based book that I'll reject so it's no surprise I ended up loving this one too. I practically inhaled it within five-ish hours! The book does not solely revolve around romantic relationships, it also tackles family and career prospects which was well appreciated.
We've also a great, diverse selection of tertiary characters. From the nail-biting-because-I'm-nervous, Gemma to little-Miss-shock-humour, Sumitra, each character has their own unique traits which adds personality to the story, rather than some characters with a generic presence.
- ~ -
The only issue, however, I had with the story was that Doe's sexual tension with Three was not addressed??? like hello? when did it fade? we don't get to know that bit and it *may* create confusion for some.
But overall a great YA contemporary debut, with a cute romance and supreme friend goals and strong opinions. I surely can't wait for the author's next work.
Mark your calendars, it's out 4/12.
𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 (𝗼𝗳𝗳-𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲)
4.21/5✩
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 & 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
April 11, 2022
It’s an entertaining, easy read.
The story follows Doe the prank master general of her all-girls boarding school and her ongoing rivalry with Three, the head of the rival all-boys school.
I would like to start out by saying Three is such an odd nickname, and it honestly had me thinking of Code Name Kids Nextdoor. That being said Three and Doe had this sort of chemistry/sexual tension that honestly had me feeling like this could have been a great enemies/rivals to lovers story. But alas it was not meant to be. Don't get me wrong, I liked Wells and Doe together. It just sometimes felt like Three and Doe were a missed opportunity.
Romance aside, this book was also about friendship and finding your place in the world. It was about standing up for what's right and demanding nothing less. And while it isn't all that original in its conception, I still found it entertaining enough to keep going. The ending was pretty funny, to be honest. The rivalry lives on!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
The story follows Doe the prank master general of her all-girls boarding school and her ongoing rivalry with Three, the head of the rival all-boys school.
I would like to start out by saying Three is such an odd nickname, and it honestly had me thinking of Code Name Kids Nextdoor. That being said Three and Doe had this sort of chemistry/sexual tension that honestly had me feeling like this could have been a great enemies/rivals to lovers story. But alas it was not meant to be. Don't get me wrong, I liked Wells and Doe together. It just sometimes felt like Three and Doe were a missed opportunity.
Romance aside, this book was also about friendship and finding your place in the world. It was about standing up for what's right and demanding nothing less. And while it isn't all that original in its conception, I still found it entertaining enough to keep going. The ending was pretty funny, to be honest. The rivalry lives on!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
March 15, 2022
13/11/2021 | stayed up to finish this one because I couldn’t stop reading. I love the fake dating trope and this definitely served. I swear I might actually end up rereading it at some point over the next couple of months. full rtc
thank you so much to wednesday books for sending me an arc
thank you so much to wednesday books for sending me an arc
May 8, 2022
Boarding school, pranks, and fake dating might just be my new favorite combination in a YA romance. Samantha Markhum's debut was a fun romp of a debut that had me so obsessed that I read it twice - once via physical and once via audiobook!
Doe, a senior at The Weston School, is a pranking mastermind. Along with her ragtag group of friends, she is continuing a decades-long pranking war with a rival boys school, Winfield. When the principal at Weston announces a merger with Winfield, Doe is ENRAGED. So, she decides to take matters into her own hands and along with her friends, plans out an elaborate prank to prove to everyone that Winfield boys and Weston girls simply do not mix. Part one of this plan? Fake-date her biggest nemesis' cousin, Wells to get under his skin.
Doe is very much of a hot mess teenager and I loved her for it. I like it when teen characters in YA act like teens, so I loved how chaotic she was. Her priorities aren't always in the right place, but Markhum does a good job at depicting why she is the way she is. She's stubborn to a fault, but in her moment of vulnerabilities, she's easy to root for. One thing about Doe is that she is very determined. She takes the prank wars and annoying her nemesis, Three, very seriously, and she went to lengths! I could only admire her sheer determination even though she did drive me bonkers once or twice because there is such a thing as being too determined. That being said, being patient with Doe's character is rewarding because we get to see her growth throughout This May End Badly.
Her character particularly shines in her scenes with her best friends and fellow rabble-rousers. Her loyalty and love for them is one of my favorite parts of her characters. If you've been a long-time reader of the blog, you know how much I love good friendships in books. Doe and her friend groups have to be at the top of my favorites. Yes, they stick with each other and have great banter, but they are also not afraid to call each other out. And trust me, Doe needed calling out a few times. Her friends made her better and they were a good catalyst for her growth.
Her romantic relationship with Wells also helps balance her out. I'm going to be honest, going into the book and having completely forgotten what I had read in the summary, I thought her love interest would be Three because of their rivalry. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed because I loved Wells a lot more than Three! He's a sweetheart and their romantic dynamic was fun. I loved the flirtatious moments in their fake-dating relationship and the build-up of the chemistry worked for me. I loved even more how they opened up to each other, sharing their softer sides. By the end, I was squealing wanting them to get together ASAP, which is exactly how I should be left feeling reading a fake-dating romance! Samantha Markhum delivers on the swoons! :)
The only part of This May End Badly that I didn't love was the plot about the predatory teacher. To me, it felt a little out-of-place in this book. I personally didn't love how it was used as a plot device towards the end to bring together the Winfield and Winston students. Be warned that it could get descriptive at certain points, so if sexual harassment/misconduct is a triggering topic for you, proceed with care.
Heather Masters narrates the audiobook of This May End Badly. It was my first audiobook by this narrator and she's one I will love to check out more audiobooks from in the future. She was great at narrating Doe's thoughts and I liked her tone and voice a lot!
All in all, I went in expecting an entertaining and romantic YA read, and I got exactly that out of This May End Badly. I can't wait to see what Samantha Markhum writes next. She's got a fan in me! :)
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