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Extracurricular
Not yet published
Expected 14 Jul 26Win a free kindle copy of this book!
3 days and 22:06:52
50 copies available
U.S. only
When a former pop star enrolls in college, the last thing she expects is A-plus chemistry with her psychology professor in this sexy and tender romance from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Lynn Solomon.
Ramona Wilder has spent her whole life in the spotlight. After a hit kids’ TV show, she transitioned into music, singing in arenas around the world and becoming an icon for millions of teenage girls. Now at age twenty-six, exhausted by the inhumane lack of privacy, she’s done—with all of it. She wants a chance at normal, whatever that might mean for her. And she’s starting with college.
Professor Nick Navarro is recently divorced but determinedly optimistic, allowing himself a very reasonable ten minutes per day to wallow. When his department calls a meeting about a celebrity enrollment, he plans to treat whoever it is like any other student. Except when Ramona blazes into class and causes an uproar, the typically easygoing professor is rattled, maybe for the first time in his career.
Ramona loves the way she flusters him, taking every opportunity to push Nick’s buttons, though what she really wants is to unbutton them completely. When a crisis brings them closer outside of class, they begin a tentative friendship amid an undeniable attraction. But Ramona can’t be so easily finished with her old life, and they’ll both have to confront their pasts if they want a chance at something real.
Ramona Wilder has spent her whole life in the spotlight. After a hit kids’ TV show, she transitioned into music, singing in arenas around the world and becoming an icon for millions of teenage girls. Now at age twenty-six, exhausted by the inhumane lack of privacy, she’s done—with all of it. She wants a chance at normal, whatever that might mean for her. And she’s starting with college.
Professor Nick Navarro is recently divorced but determinedly optimistic, allowing himself a very reasonable ten minutes per day to wallow. When his department calls a meeting about a celebrity enrollment, he plans to treat whoever it is like any other student. Except when Ramona blazes into class and causes an uproar, the typically easygoing professor is rattled, maybe for the first time in his career.
Ramona loves the way she flusters him, taking every opportunity to push Nick’s buttons, though what she really wants is to unbutton them completely. When a crisis brings them closer outside of class, they begin a tentative friendship amid an undeniable attraction. But Ramona can’t be so easily finished with her old life, and they’ll both have to confront their pasts if they want a chance at something real.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 14, 2026
About the author
Rachel Lynn Solomon
15 books8,755 followersRachel Lynn Solomon is the New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Talk, Today Tonight Tomorrow, and other romantic comedies for teens and adults. Her books have been translated into more than fifteen languages and optioned for film. Originally from Seattle, she's currently navigating expat life with her husband in Amsterdam, where she can often be found exploring the city, collecting stationery, and working up the courage to knit her first sweater. Connect with her on Instagram @rlynn_solomon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 324 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
——✮∙˙ 4 stars ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆
╰► 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!
✧ For anyone who’s been told they should be quieter about the things they love—be even louder. ✧
⋮ ✦┆after years of fame as a child actress and pop star, ramona wilder leaves the spotlight behind to start over at college and finally experience a normal life. but her fresh start becomes complicated when she forms an unexpected connection with her psychology professor, nick navarro, who is recovering from a recent divorce. what begins as teasing classroom tension slowly turns into a deeper relationship as they help each other confront the pressures of fame, heartbreak, and learning to trust again.
✧ genre: contemporary romance
✧ tropes: student x professor ⋆ forbidden ⋆ age gap (10 years) ⋆ no third-act breakup
✧ setting: college
◦◦,`°.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽.°`,◦◦ ◦◦,`°.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽.°`,◦◦
⋮ ✦┆first of all, can we take a moment to appreciate this cover?? like hello?! it so beautiful! i think this book was really sweet and i really enjoyed the way these two characters, ramona wilder and nick navarro, slowly developed a relationship.
this book explores themes of self-rediscovery, resilience, and growth—something i was very fond of reading about.
i think there were some important things that were slightly overlooked, and although it’s not a main plot in this book, it’s part of a character’s story, and since there was a lot of self-discovery, i just wish there could’ve been some more exploration about that.
besides this and just a couple other things, i really enjoyed reading this book 🤭
✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ ramona wilder ⋆｡°
⌞🧂⌝ ⋮ ✦┆i really enjoyed seeing how ramona navigated through such a big change in her life—trying her best to live a life in which she gets to decide everything.
something i admired about her was her determination to learn new things. it’s like she almost knew exactly which path she wanted to take in order to get used to this new life of hers, even if it was a little bumpy.
she embraced new change by challenging herself, acknowledging/reconnecting with the past, and just really letting herself explore life.
✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ nick navarro ⋆｡°
⌞🧠⌝ ⋮ ✦┆i feel like nick is really similar to ramona in some ways. just like her, he’s also in an era of self-rediscovery.
for him, he’s more so trying to figure out what went wrong and what to do. i really loved how that although he’s also in such a tough time in his life, he still showed up for what he loves and who he loves.
also, since he’s at a more mature age, it sort of felt like he didn’t have that much difficulty with anything. i think he had more self-doubt than anything. but it was stil interesting to see how he slowly overcame that.
✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ the relationship ⋆｡°💌
⌞💋⌝ ⋮ ✦┆these two characters were really good for each other. they helped and supported the other. i think they had pretty good chemistry as well.
i liked the build up to their relationship and the slight tension between them. now…it could’ve been my fault for reading too fast, but they did seem kind of fast. not insta-love at all—which thank god 🙏—because i HATE insta-love! so i’m so glad it wasn’t insta-lovey. it was more of an attraction and that just threw me off a little.
⋮ ✦┆this book was sweet, pretty quick, and filled with much more than i expected (in a good way). originally, my rating for this book was sitting at a 3.5, but after sitting on it for two days, its a 4 stars. i would definitely recommend this book!!
ᯤ ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ “quotes revealed when book is published”
── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──
ᝰ.ᐟ🎤 ⌗ pre read┆started april 24 | finished may 8 ˎˊ˗
i’m genuinely so excited for this book because when i first started my reading journey 4 years ago, i read “today tonight tomorrow” by this author and it was so creative and fun 💐 i went to sleep thinking about it and woke up with it on my mind 🤗 this book sounds so interesting, so hopefully it exceeds my expectations 🤞
˖᯽ ݁˖· ─ 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸
⟢ 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚: july 14
╰► 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!
✧ For anyone who’s been told they should be quieter about the things they love—be even louder. ✧
˗ˏˋ ꒰ ⓘ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ i. synopsis⋆˚꩜｡
⋮ ✦┆after years of fame as a child actress and pop star, ramona wilder leaves the spotlight behind to start over at college and finally experience a normal life. but her fresh start becomes complicated when she forms an unexpected connection with her psychology professor, nick navarro, who is recovering from a recent divorce. what begins as teasing classroom tension slowly turns into a deeper relationship as they help each other confront the pressures of fame, heartbreak, and learning to trust again.
✧ genre: contemporary romance
✧ tropes: student x professor ⋆ forbidden ⋆ age gap (10 years) ⋆ no third-act breakup
✧ setting: college
◦◦,`°.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽.°`,◦◦ ◦◦,`°.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽.°`,◦◦
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ ii. my thoughts ⋆｡°💭
⋮ ✦┆first of all, can we take a moment to appreciate this cover?? like hello?! it so beautiful! i think this book was really sweet and i really enjoyed the way these two characters, ramona wilder and nick navarro, slowly developed a relationship.
this book explores themes of self-rediscovery, resilience, and growth—something i was very fond of reading about.
i think there were some important things that were slightly overlooked, and although it’s not a main plot in this book, it’s part of a character’s story, and since there was a lot of self-discovery, i just wish there could’ve been some more exploration about that.
besides this and just a couple other things, i really enjoyed reading this book 🤭
❝ This doesn’t mean I’m giving you an A. ❞
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ iii. characters ⋆｡°🌷
✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ ramona wilder ⋆｡°
⌞🧂⌝ ⋮ ✦┆i really enjoyed seeing how ramona navigated through such a big change in her life—trying her best to live a life in which she gets to decide everything.
something i admired about her was her determination to learn new things. it’s like she almost knew exactly which path she wanted to take in order to get used to this new life of hers, even if it was a little bumpy.
she embraced new change by challenging herself, acknowledging/reconnecting with the past, and just really letting herself explore life.
✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ nick navarro ⋆｡°
⌞🧠⌝ ⋮ ✦┆i feel like nick is really similar to ramona in some ways. just like her, he’s also in an era of self-rediscovery.
for him, he’s more so trying to figure out what went wrong and what to do. i really loved how that although he’s also in such a tough time in his life, he still showed up for what he loves and who he loves.
also, since he’s at a more mature age, it sort of felt like he didn’t have that much difficulty with anything. i think he had more self-doubt than anything. but it was stil interesting to see how he slowly overcame that.
✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ the relationship ⋆｡°💌
⌞💋⌝ ⋮ ✦┆these two characters were really good for each other. they helped and supported the other. i think they had pretty good chemistry as well.
i liked the build up to their relationship and the slight tension between them. now…it could’ve been my fault for reading too fast, but they did seem kind of fast. not insta-love at all—which thank god 🙏—because i HATE insta-love! so i’m so glad it wasn’t insta-lovey. it was more of an attraction and that just threw me off a little.
❝Of course you are. But I’m going to earn it.❞
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ iv. overall ⋆｡°⌛️
⋮ ✦┆this book was sweet, pretty quick, and filled with much more than i expected (in a good way). originally, my rating for this book was sitting at a 3.5, but after sitting on it for two days, its a 4 stars. i would definitely recommend this book!!
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆v. quotes i loved⋆｡° 𓂃🖊
ᯤ ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ “quotes revealed when book is published”
── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ──
ᝰ.ᐟ🎤 ⌗ pre read┆started april 24 | finished may 8 ˎˊ˗
i’m genuinely so excited for this book because when i first started my reading journey 4 years ago, i read “today tonight tomorrow” by this author and it was so creative and fun 💐 i went to sleep thinking about it and woke up with it on my mind 🤗 this book sounds so interesting, so hopefully it exceeds my expectations 🤞
˖᯽ ݁˖· ─ 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸
⟢ 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚: july 14
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Extracurricular written by Rachel Lynn Solomon was messy, chaotic, beautiful, emotional, inspiring, real, raw, powerful, and vulnerable. I have never read anything written by Rachel Lynn Solomon before, but after loving this one I'm definitely going to be checking out her previous written novels and anything else she writes in the future. I mainly wanted to read this book because I absolutely love anything music related, which was what we got, but it was so much more than just a struggling musician. Rachel's writing is so beautiful, I connected to the story way more than I thought I would, which honestly surprised me in the best way. I know this book is labeled as a forbidden romance, but it's so much more than just a romance novel, Extracurricular is about two damaged souls who deserve so much kindness in their lives, it's about two people learning they deserve to feel safe in their own skin. I had so many different emotions while I was reading this book, I cried, I laughed, I smiled, I cheered on the characters, I was angry, and I felt like my heart was being ripped to pieces. I can't recommend this book enough, if you are looking for a romance story between a college professor and a pop star with A-plus chemistry, then you better add this book to your shelves and mark your calendars for July 14th, 2026 because you definitely won't want to miss out on this lovely book. The vulnerability in this book was so powerful, at times I had tears streaming down my face because it was that touching. Extracurricular was so nostalgic for me, it brought me back to my childhood and reminded me so much of Hannah Montana.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!
જ⁀➴ ♡ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Angels Like You by Miley Cyrusજ⁀➴ ♡
0:59 ───ㅇ─────3:14
💘🍓🧸First and foremost, I would like to thank my prettiest and favorite girl Cat for buddy reading this beautiful book with me💘🍓🧸. Thank you for holding my hand through this emotional journey we went on together. Thank you for sharing all of our laughs and tears together. I had the absolute bestest time giggling and crying with you, my sweet girl. I love you so so much, my favorite girl, mwah. The nostalgic journey we went on together was so memorable🎀👯.
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـExtracurricular is for those who have been told they should be quieter about the things they love- be even louderﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ.
TRIGGER WARNING'S
~Emotional Abuse by a Parent~
~Panic Attacks~
~References to Sexual Assault~ (in the past, not graphically described on the page)
"❤️🔦You didn't just drag me out of the dark, you gave me a flashlight and you let me follow you❤️🔦".
"💖☹️Anxiety makes people do strange things💖☹️".
"💞🎨Someone to guide you through the fine art of being normal💞🎨".
"💓😭Emotions result from an external stimulus💓😭".
"💗🔮It's called hope. I have heard you lose some of it as you get older💗🔮".
Ramona Wilder is a girlhood and glitter popstar who became an icon for millions of teenage girls. Ramona reminded me so much of Miley Cyrus, they both started out on TV shows before their music careers took off and took them to all time highs. With audiences screaming back at Ramona, they are like dopamine hits but they aren't enough to keep her going. At the age of twenty-six, Ramona wants to retire, she just wants a chance at a normal life because she's tired of the lack of privacy. Ramona's story broke my heart, the expectations of other people had shaped the way she saw herself. Ramona has spent so much of her life being told who she should be, how she should present herself, and how she dresses. Ramona had never really been given the chance to simply be herself, she always did what people expected her to do because she was just a people pleaser. Wasted Potential World Tour is Ramona's last ever tour, after she twists her ankle during her performance in Milwaukee, Ramona decides to call it quits because she's just had enough after running off of the stage during a panic attack. Ramona had her first panic attack at age fourteen after a live taping of a TV show. Ramona's stardom started after she got her start in commercials at just fourteen years old before landing a role on the hit kids TV show Greta Life which followed a young aspiring stand up comedian and her wacky group of friends. At just seventeen years old, Ramona's music career takes off where she writes songs about bad boyfriends, complicated self image, and raging against the establishments. By the time she's twenty-six, Ramona is a three time Grammy award winner, but she's done, she just wants a simple quiet life. As my Pisces twin, Ramona's mental health is in a fucking dumpster, now mentions of music are a sensitive topic for her. Ramona's parents micromanaged every part of her life just because they wanted money, her mom handles promotions and merchandise while her dad handles her music. Ramona rose to stardom as her family's ticket out of poverty, but all they did was use Ramona for money. Ramona was labeled as a slut because men only wanted her for sex, but she never knew how to say no because she didn't want people to look at her differently if she ever said no. Ramona's first step at a normal life is become a University of California Los Angeles Bruin.
Nick Navarro is a thirty-six year old psychology professor at UCLA. Nick is newly divorced at thirty-six years old and moving in with his sister Lexi and his thirteen year old niece, Audrey. I absolutely loved Nick and Audrey's relationship, their corny jokes had me giggling nonstop. Before I forget to mention, Ramona is Audrey's favorite singer. Nick's ex-wife had an emotional affair but she told Nick before it became physical. Nick got married at twenty-three years old and now he's legally single for the first time since he was eighteen years old. Nick lives for silver linings but he tries to assure everyone that he's okay because he doesn't want to be a burden to anyone. For my astrology girlies, Nick is a Gemini. Nick is a hottie, he wears glasses and has a gold hoop earring in one ear. Nick has been teaching for seven years, but at times the decisions he made often made me want to rip my hair out of my head because how can he be so careless and just jump into certain situations risking his job knowing what's at stake? He just seemed to so willing to risk his job after being warned once. I absolutely love and adore Nick though, he has this endearingly awkward energy that just made him so attractive. Nick is someone who is carrying a lot of hurt, he's so vulnerable, he feels unlovable, but he just goes out of his way to make sure those around him feel safe. Nick understands Ramona better than anyone, they are both dealing with so much hurt, but watching them trying to figure things out was deeply inspiring. Despite going through the worst heart break of his life, Nick is a trivia nerd, he goes out to game night with his friends and colleagues to take his mind off of his pain. I just wanted to reach into my kindle and hold Nick's hand and tell him that everything will be okay, but if anything Nick taught me more life lessons because he just had this calming and safe presence about him.
Nick and Ramona hit it off on a rocky start when Ramona hit Nick's car with a jagged scrape on her first day of class at UCLA while she was trying to find a parking spot in a hectic parking lot. Ramona his Nick's 2005 Toyota Prius with her Range Rover, but Ramona never left a note behind, she just straight up told him after a debate in class. Nick thinks Ramona looks like a gothic version of Rapunzel, y'all this man had me laughing so hard that I cried. As Ramona's college professor, Nick has the same expectations of Ramona that he has for every student which is okay for Ramona because she doesn't want any special treatments, but Nick thinks Ramona is using college to make her musical comeback. The UCLA handbook states that romantic or sexual relationships with students are unacceptable forms of conduct but that doesn't stop Ramona and Nick from having a spicy relationship. As they get to know each other, Nick and Ramona decide to make a deal, Nick will help Ramona feel normal if she helps Nick find a committed relationship, but along the way they are just two souls who managed to find each other in a college psychology classroom. Ramona and Nick are both living in the aftermath from massive events that completely changed the trajectories of their lives. Watching their relationship bloom was so beautiful, it was more than just falling in love with each other, it was about being seen, being given the space to grow while knowing someone would still be standing beside you no matter what kind of lemons life threw at you. I know their situations are completely different, but they are just two damaged people that are in therapy and trying to live their lives after the shitty hands they were dealt with. I love how they didn't run from their pain, but rather they chased it head on and supported one another during their difficult times. Nick and Ramona's character growth was deeply inspiring by the end of this beautiful love story. "❣️💋I could have you every single night, every single morning, and I would still go feral each time❣️💋".
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!
જ⁀➴ ♡ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Angels Like You by Miley Cyrusજ⁀➴ ♡
0:59 ───ㅇ─────3:14
💘🍓🧸First and foremost, I would like to thank my prettiest and favorite girl Cat for buddy reading this beautiful book with me💘🍓🧸. Thank you for holding my hand through this emotional journey we went on together. Thank you for sharing all of our laughs and tears together. I had the absolute bestest time giggling and crying with you, my sweet girl. I love you so so much, my favorite girl, mwah. The nostalgic journey we went on together was so memorable🎀👯.
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـExtracurricular is for those who have been told they should be quieter about the things they love- be even louderﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ.
TRIGGER WARNING'S
~Emotional Abuse by a Parent~
~Panic Attacks~
~References to Sexual Assault~ (in the past, not graphically described on the page)
"❤️🔦You didn't just drag me out of the dark, you gave me a flashlight and you let me follow you❤️🔦".
"💖☹️Anxiety makes people do strange things💖☹️".
"💞🎨Someone to guide you through the fine art of being normal💞🎨".
"💓😭Emotions result from an external stimulus💓😭".
"💗🔮It's called hope. I have heard you lose some of it as you get older💗🔮".
Ramona Wilder is a girlhood and glitter popstar who became an icon for millions of teenage girls. Ramona reminded me so much of Miley Cyrus, they both started out on TV shows before their music careers took off and took them to all time highs. With audiences screaming back at Ramona, they are like dopamine hits but they aren't enough to keep her going. At the age of twenty-six, Ramona wants to retire, she just wants a chance at a normal life because she's tired of the lack of privacy. Ramona's story broke my heart, the expectations of other people had shaped the way she saw herself. Ramona has spent so much of her life being told who she should be, how she should present herself, and how she dresses. Ramona had never really been given the chance to simply be herself, she always did what people expected her to do because she was just a people pleaser. Wasted Potential World Tour is Ramona's last ever tour, after she twists her ankle during her performance in Milwaukee, Ramona decides to call it quits because she's just had enough after running off of the stage during a panic attack. Ramona had her first panic attack at age fourteen after a live taping of a TV show. Ramona's stardom started after she got her start in commercials at just fourteen years old before landing a role on the hit kids TV show Greta Life which followed a young aspiring stand up comedian and her wacky group of friends. At just seventeen years old, Ramona's music career takes off where she writes songs about bad boyfriends, complicated self image, and raging against the establishments. By the time she's twenty-six, Ramona is a three time Grammy award winner, but she's done, she just wants a simple quiet life. As my Pisces twin, Ramona's mental health is in a fucking dumpster, now mentions of music are a sensitive topic for her. Ramona's parents micromanaged every part of her life just because they wanted money, her mom handles promotions and merchandise while her dad handles her music. Ramona rose to stardom as her family's ticket out of poverty, but all they did was use Ramona for money. Ramona was labeled as a slut because men only wanted her for sex, but she never knew how to say no because she didn't want people to look at her differently if she ever said no. Ramona's first step at a normal life is become a University of California Los Angeles Bruin.
Nick Navarro is a thirty-six year old psychology professor at UCLA. Nick is newly divorced at thirty-six years old and moving in with his sister Lexi and his thirteen year old niece, Audrey. I absolutely loved Nick and Audrey's relationship, their corny jokes had me giggling nonstop. Before I forget to mention, Ramona is Audrey's favorite singer. Nick's ex-wife had an emotional affair but she told Nick before it became physical. Nick got married at twenty-three years old and now he's legally single for the first time since he was eighteen years old. Nick lives for silver linings but he tries to assure everyone that he's okay because he doesn't want to be a burden to anyone. For my astrology girlies, Nick is a Gemini. Nick is a hottie, he wears glasses and has a gold hoop earring in one ear. Nick has been teaching for seven years, but at times the decisions he made often made me want to rip my hair out of my head because how can he be so careless and just jump into certain situations risking his job knowing what's at stake? He just seemed to so willing to risk his job after being warned once. I absolutely love and adore Nick though, he has this endearingly awkward energy that just made him so attractive. Nick is someone who is carrying a lot of hurt, he's so vulnerable, he feels unlovable, but he just goes out of his way to make sure those around him feel safe. Nick understands Ramona better than anyone, they are both dealing with so much hurt, but watching them trying to figure things out was deeply inspiring. Despite going through the worst heart break of his life, Nick is a trivia nerd, he goes out to game night with his friends and colleagues to take his mind off of his pain. I just wanted to reach into my kindle and hold Nick's hand and tell him that everything will be okay, but if anything Nick taught me more life lessons because he just had this calming and safe presence about him.
Nick and Ramona hit it off on a rocky start when Ramona hit Nick's car with a jagged scrape on her first day of class at UCLA while she was trying to find a parking spot in a hectic parking lot. Ramona his Nick's 2005 Toyota Prius with her Range Rover, but Ramona never left a note behind, she just straight up told him after a debate in class. Nick thinks Ramona looks like a gothic version of Rapunzel, y'all this man had me laughing so hard that I cried. As Ramona's college professor, Nick has the same expectations of Ramona that he has for every student which is okay for Ramona because she doesn't want any special treatments, but Nick thinks Ramona is using college to make her musical comeback. The UCLA handbook states that romantic or sexual relationships with students are unacceptable forms of conduct but that doesn't stop Ramona and Nick from having a spicy relationship. As they get to know each other, Nick and Ramona decide to make a deal, Nick will help Ramona feel normal if she helps Nick find a committed relationship, but along the way they are just two souls who managed to find each other in a college psychology classroom. Ramona and Nick are both living in the aftermath from massive events that completely changed the trajectories of their lives. Watching their relationship bloom was so beautiful, it was more than just falling in love with each other, it was about being seen, being given the space to grow while knowing someone would still be standing beside you no matter what kind of lemons life threw at you. I know their situations are completely different, but they are just two damaged people that are in therapy and trying to live their lives after the shitty hands they were dealt with. I love how they didn't run from their pain, but rather they chased it head on and supported one another during their difficult times. Nick and Ramona's character growth was deeply inspiring by the end of this beautiful love story. "❣️💋I could have you every single night, every single morning, and I would still go feral each time❣️💋".
February 24, 2026
Well, how can anyone resist a concept that instantly reminds you of “I’m just a girl, standing in front of my hot redheaded professor, asking him to love her” — giving you delicious Notting Hill vibes with a modern, emotionally layered twist?
We follow Ramona Wilder, a once-unstoppable pop phenomenon — think a Sabrina Carpenter-level global sensation who grew up in the spotlight, carrying the weight of fame on her fragile shoulders since her teenage years. Her backstory, including a messy relationship with a troubled actor ex, slightly echoes the public struggles of stars like Miley Cyrus, adding an extra layer of realism and vulnerability.
After quietly stepping away from her career to confront her mental health battles alone, Ramona makes a brave, life-altering decision: she returns to college at twenty-six, determined to reclaim the youth she never truly had.
And that’s where Nick Navarro enters the picture.
Nick, thirty-eight, recently divorced, emotionally bruised, and living with his sister and niece, is trying to rebuild his life piece by piece. He’s intelligent, kind, a little awkward, and at times endearingly lost — honestly, he gave me strong young Hugh Grant rom-com energy. He’s a devoted professor who genuinely cares about his students, yet when it comes to his own heart, he’s far less confident.
The moment Ramona and Nick meet, the spark is undeniable.
Their relationship evolves through tension, resistance, and emotional vulnerability — a forbidden yet fully consensual connection between two adults who are both navigating personal reinvention. The chemistry between them is electric, filled with longing, hesitation, and beautifully written emotional intimacy. Their journey never feels cheap or superficial. Instead, it explores the real emotional consequences of loving someone when the timing, circumstances, and past wounds complicate everything.
What makes this story especially powerful is how thoughtfully it addresses deeper themes beneath the romance. It doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of fame: the invasive nature of social media, the suffocating expectations of fans, the exploitation by dysfunctional parents, and the terrifying loneliness that can exist behind glamorous public images. These elements are handled with sensitivity, honesty, and care.
Ramona is an absolutely fantastic heroine. She is strong, sharp-witted, vulnerable, and incredibly resilient. Watching her slowly rediscover herself — not as a brand, not as an idol, but as a human being — was deeply moving. You root for her with your whole heart.
Nick, on the other hand, is charmingly imperfect. He’s gentle, thoughtful, sometimes clueless, and still emotionally healing from a life he thought would last forever. His emotional growth throughout the story feels authentic and satisfying.
And I must talk about the dialogue — because it was one of my favorite parts! The banter is witty, playful, and full of personality. The text message exchanges especially felt so real, modern, and irresistibly fun. You can feel the connection building word by word.
The pacing was excellent: a gripping opening, a steadily developing emotional arc, and a conclusion that left me feeling warm, emotional, and completely satisfied.
This is not just a sweet romantic comedy. It is also a compassionate exploration of mental health, identity, healing, and second chances. It balances emotional depth with humor and tenderness beautifully.
As a devoted reader of Rachel Lynn Solomon, I can confidently say she absolutely delivered once again. She has this rare gift of making you feel seen, comforted, and emotionally invested all at once.
We truly need stories like this — romances that allow us to escape, to dream, and to believe in love again, even after heartbreak. Stories that feel like the perfect comfort film playing in your mind.
And honestly? I need more of her books immediately.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this engaging, emotional, and addictive rom-com’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions. It was an absolute joy to read and experience.
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We follow Ramona Wilder, a once-unstoppable pop phenomenon — think a Sabrina Carpenter-level global sensation who grew up in the spotlight, carrying the weight of fame on her fragile shoulders since her teenage years. Her backstory, including a messy relationship with a troubled actor ex, slightly echoes the public struggles of stars like Miley Cyrus, adding an extra layer of realism and vulnerability.
After quietly stepping away from her career to confront her mental health battles alone, Ramona makes a brave, life-altering decision: she returns to college at twenty-six, determined to reclaim the youth she never truly had.
And that’s where Nick Navarro enters the picture.
Nick, thirty-eight, recently divorced, emotionally bruised, and living with his sister and niece, is trying to rebuild his life piece by piece. He’s intelligent, kind, a little awkward, and at times endearingly lost — honestly, he gave me strong young Hugh Grant rom-com energy. He’s a devoted professor who genuinely cares about his students, yet when it comes to his own heart, he’s far less confident.
The moment Ramona and Nick meet, the spark is undeniable.
Their relationship evolves through tension, resistance, and emotional vulnerability — a forbidden yet fully consensual connection between two adults who are both navigating personal reinvention. The chemistry between them is electric, filled with longing, hesitation, and beautifully written emotional intimacy. Their journey never feels cheap or superficial. Instead, it explores the real emotional consequences of loving someone when the timing, circumstances, and past wounds complicate everything.
What makes this story especially powerful is how thoughtfully it addresses deeper themes beneath the romance. It doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of fame: the invasive nature of social media, the suffocating expectations of fans, the exploitation by dysfunctional parents, and the terrifying loneliness that can exist behind glamorous public images. These elements are handled with sensitivity, honesty, and care.
Ramona is an absolutely fantastic heroine. She is strong, sharp-witted, vulnerable, and incredibly resilient. Watching her slowly rediscover herself — not as a brand, not as an idol, but as a human being — was deeply moving. You root for her with your whole heart.
Nick, on the other hand, is charmingly imperfect. He’s gentle, thoughtful, sometimes clueless, and still emotionally healing from a life he thought would last forever. His emotional growth throughout the story feels authentic and satisfying.
And I must talk about the dialogue — because it was one of my favorite parts! The banter is witty, playful, and full of personality. The text message exchanges especially felt so real, modern, and irresistibly fun. You can feel the connection building word by word.
The pacing was excellent: a gripping opening, a steadily developing emotional arc, and a conclusion that left me feeling warm, emotional, and completely satisfied.
This is not just a sweet romantic comedy. It is also a compassionate exploration of mental health, identity, healing, and second chances. It balances emotional depth with humor and tenderness beautifully.
As a devoted reader of Rachel Lynn Solomon, I can confidently say she absolutely delivered once again. She has this rare gift of making you feel seen, comforted, and emotionally invested all at once.
We truly need stories like this — romances that allow us to escape, to dream, and to believe in love again, even after heartbreak. Stories that feel like the perfect comfort film playing in your mind.
And honestly? I need more of her books immediately.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this engaging, emotional, and addictive rom-com’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions. It was an absolute joy to read and experience.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
Read
February 23, 2026Extracurricular is my favorite thing I've written, and it will be in your hands on July 14, 2026! The first edition will have gorgeous ombré sprayed edges and a printed inside cover.
On the surface: a spicy forbidden romance about a former pop star who goes back to college and falls for her professor.
Under the surface: shifting power dynamics and healing from trauma and tender moments of vulnerability. A girl who's spent her life viewed solely as a commodity, accustomed to using her sexuality to get what she wants, and the man with his own wounds who sees her as a whole person and loves every piece of her. Two lonely, slightly shattered people finding their way to each other.
Tropes, behind a spoiler tag in case you'd prefer to go in without knowing them:
And some content warnings printed at the beginning of the book that I'll also put behind a spoiler tag:
Thank you so much for spending time with Ramona and Nick. 🧡
On the surface: a spicy forbidden romance about a former pop star who goes back to college and falls for her professor.
Under the surface: shifting power dynamics and healing from trauma and tender moments of vulnerability. A girl who's spent her life viewed solely as a commodity, accustomed to using her sexuality to get what she wants, and the man with his own wounds who sees her as a whole person and loves every piece of her. Two lonely, slightly shattered people finding their way to each other.
Tropes, behind a spoiler tag in case you'd prefer to go in without knowing them:
And some content warnings printed at the beginning of the book that I'll also put behind a spoiler tag:
Thank you so much for spending time with Ramona and Nick. 🧡
February 25, 2026
Quite frankly, boring. No chemistry, the plot was sleep inducing and I couldn’t for the life of me like the mmc. This was so unfortunate especially with that stunning cover and the trope being one of my favourites :(
ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin for the ARC! ♥︎
ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin for the ARC! ♥︎
June 16, 2026
“Maybe she’s the reason nothing has felt right for so long: because it was always supposed to be the two of them, stumbling alone in the dark before their worlds collided in a burst of light.”
on repeat 𝄞 ࿐♬ 𓍢ִ🎧ྀི ᯓ ♪ˎˊ˗
“ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ɪ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ (ᴘɪᴀɴᴏ ᴠᴇʀsɪᴏɴ)” x sᴛᴇᴘʜᴇɴ sᴀɴᴄʜᴇᴢ
0:37 ──♥───────── 3:04
Rachel Lynn Solomon somehow managed to make me laugh, roll my eyes, get frustrated, and then completely melt all within the same book. 😭
The second Ramona appeared on page, I was immediately getting Miley Cyrus vibes (so nostalgic!!) starting as a young girl who was in a tv show then slowly turned into a celebrity.
From the start, I found myself absolutely despising her parents. Poor girl couldn’t catch a break. 😭 Watching how deeply the expectations of other people had shaped the way she saw herself was genuinely heartbreaking. She spent so much of her life being told who she should be, what she should look like, and how she should present herself that it felt like she’d never really been given the chance to simply exist as herself 🥺
Once we got to Nick and Ramona meeting... my reading notes at the beginning were basically:
Ramona, please.
Nick, PLEASE.
Both of you are stressing me out.😭😭🤣
Because genuinely, I wasn’t sure how I felt about either of them at first. They both had moments where I wanted to shake them. They were messy, stubborn, and occasionally immature in ways that made me groan into my pillow. But somehow that made their growth feel even more rewarding. By the time they found their footing, I was completely invested 🙂↕️
There was definitely a small part of me that wished the physical side of their relationship had developed a little more slowly. It felt fast for my personal taste. At the same time, it fit the forbidden nature of the story and the intensity of what they were feeling, so I understood why it unfolded the way it did.
Nick absolutely made me laugh throughout this book. He has this endearingly awkward energy that was so charming. But underneath that awkwardness was someone carrying a lot of hurt. Learning more about his past and realizing how unfamiliar he was with dating after spending so much of his life in one relationship genuinely made me sad. There was something really sweet about watching him try to figure things out again.
And i was giggling because every single time someone says they’re just going to get their feelings “out of their systems” in a romance novel I laugh.
BECAUSE WHEN HAS THAT EVER WORKED LOL?
What I did appreciate was that Nick genuinely tried. Multiple times. He wanted to keep things professional. He wanted to do the right thing. Which is why one of my biggest struggles with the story was how quickly he seemed willing to risk everything after being warned. It felt unrealistic at times, especially considering his age and position. I kept thinking there had to be another way to handle those feelings without immediately putting his entire career on the line.
But despite that frustration, I couldn’t ignore how much I loved the way he cared for her.
The way he stood up to her mother.
The way he showed up when nobody else did.
The way he consistently put her wellbeing first.
The way he remained steady when she was scared, uncertain, or struggling to voice what she needed. 🥹🥹🥹
That was the version of Nick that completely won me over.
The yearning in this book was absolutely ridiculous at times, and while I spent portions of the story questioning their decisions, I never questioned how deeply these two cared about each other.
What I loved most about their relationship was it was about being seen. Being supported. Being given the space to grow while knowing someone would still be standing beside you.
What stayed with me most though, was Ramona’s journey. This easily could have been a story where she simply buried everything she’d experienced, but instead she chose to face it. She worked through her pain instead of running from it. Watching her slowly reclaim pieces of herself and transform those experiences into something meaningful felt incredibly hopeful 🙂↕️🥹
At its core, this book felt less like a forbidden romance and more like two people learning they deserved kindness, safety, and a life that actually belonged to them🥹🫶🏼🫶🏼
favorite quotes ↓
“When she leaves, he stands there in what used to be her sunbeam, now covered up by clouds.”
“Sometimes I think I might stop breathing unless I can have you in any way you’d let me.”
“You didn’t just drag me out of the dark. You gave me a flashlight, and you let me follow you.”
things to know about the book ↓
🎤 former celebrity FMC
📚 professor x student
🎤 age gap (10 years)
📚 forbidden romance
🎤 self-discovery journey
📚 supportive MMC
🎤 personal growth and recovery
📚 written in 3rd person
swearing: yes
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
→ chapters: 10, 12, 16, 22, 23, 26
Thank you NetGalley, publisher & author for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I had the bestest time reading with one of my most favorite girlies Cara 🥹🥹 You make reading so much more enjoyable babe!! Can't wait for our next one!!
─────────
・❥・⁀➷ 💖🎶 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕
a professor x celebrity student?! count me in 👀😏
buddy reading with my lovely girl Cara 🥹 this cover is so cute!! hoping we love it 🤞🏼🙈
on repeat 𝄞 ࿐♬ 𓍢ִ🎧ྀི ᯓ ♪ˎˊ˗
“ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ɪ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ (ᴘɪᴀɴᴏ ᴠᴇʀsɪᴏɴ)” x sᴛᴇᴘʜᴇɴ sᴀɴᴄʜᴇᴢ
0:37 ──♥───────── 3:04
Rachel Lynn Solomon somehow managed to make me laugh, roll my eyes, get frustrated, and then completely melt all within the same book. 😭
The second Ramona appeared on page, I was immediately getting Miley Cyrus vibes (so nostalgic!!) starting as a young girl who was in a tv show then slowly turned into a celebrity.
From the start, I found myself absolutely despising her parents. Poor girl couldn’t catch a break. 😭 Watching how deeply the expectations of other people had shaped the way she saw herself was genuinely heartbreaking. She spent so much of her life being told who she should be, what she should look like, and how she should present herself that it felt like she’d never really been given the chance to simply exist as herself 🥺
Once we got to Nick and Ramona meeting... my reading notes at the beginning were basically:
Ramona, please.
Nick, PLEASE.
Both of you are stressing me out.😭😭🤣
Because genuinely, I wasn’t sure how I felt about either of them at first. They both had moments where I wanted to shake them. They were messy, stubborn, and occasionally immature in ways that made me groan into my pillow. But somehow that made their growth feel even more rewarding. By the time they found their footing, I was completely invested 🙂↕️
There was definitely a small part of me that wished the physical side of their relationship had developed a little more slowly. It felt fast for my personal taste. At the same time, it fit the forbidden nature of the story and the intensity of what they were feeling, so I understood why it unfolded the way it did.
Nick absolutely made me laugh throughout this book. He has this endearingly awkward energy that was so charming. But underneath that awkwardness was someone carrying a lot of hurt. Learning more about his past and realizing how unfamiliar he was with dating after spending so much of his life in one relationship genuinely made me sad. There was something really sweet about watching him try to figure things out again.
And i was giggling because every single time someone says they’re just going to get their feelings “out of their systems” in a romance novel I laugh.
BECAUSE WHEN HAS THAT EVER WORKED LOL?
What I did appreciate was that Nick genuinely tried. Multiple times. He wanted to keep things professional. He wanted to do the right thing. Which is why one of my biggest struggles with the story was how quickly he seemed willing to risk everything after being warned. It felt unrealistic at times, especially considering his age and position. I kept thinking there had to be another way to handle those feelings without immediately putting his entire career on the line.
But despite that frustration, I couldn’t ignore how much I loved the way he cared for her.
The way he stood up to her mother.
The way he showed up when nobody else did.
The way he consistently put her wellbeing first.
The way he remained steady when she was scared, uncertain, or struggling to voice what she needed. 🥹🥹🥹
That was the version of Nick that completely won me over.
The yearning in this book was absolutely ridiculous at times, and while I spent portions of the story questioning their decisions, I never questioned how deeply these two cared about each other.
What I loved most about their relationship was it was about being seen. Being supported. Being given the space to grow while knowing someone would still be standing beside you.
What stayed with me most though, was Ramona’s journey. This easily could have been a story where she simply buried everything she’d experienced, but instead she chose to face it. She worked through her pain instead of running from it. Watching her slowly reclaim pieces of herself and transform those experiences into something meaningful felt incredibly hopeful 🙂↕️🥹
At its core, this book felt less like a forbidden romance and more like two people learning they deserved kindness, safety, and a life that actually belonged to them🥹🫶🏼🫶🏼
favorite quotes ↓
“When she leaves, he stands there in what used to be her sunbeam, now covered up by clouds.”
“Sometimes I think I might stop breathing unless I can have you in any way you’d let me.”
“You didn’t just drag me out of the dark. You gave me a flashlight, and you let me follow you.”
things to know about the book ↓
🎤 former celebrity FMC
📚 professor x student
🎤 age gap (10 years)
📚 forbidden romance
🎤 self-discovery journey
📚 supportive MMC
🎤 personal growth and recovery
📚 written in 3rd person
swearing: yes
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
→ chapters: 10, 12, 16, 22, 23, 26
Thank you NetGalley, publisher & author for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I had the bestest time reading with one of my most favorite girlies Cara 🥹🥹 You make reading so much more enjoyable babe!! Can't wait for our next one!!
─────────
・❥・⁀➷ 💖🎶 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕
a professor x celebrity student?! count me in 👀😏
buddy reading with my lovely girl Cara 🥹 this cover is so cute!! hoping we love it 🤞🏼🙈
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book is the embodiment of all my favorite tropes—age gap, forbidden romance, student/professor, mental health rep—so the moment I got approved, I immediately dove in! And it was so addictive that I read it in one sitting.
Ramona is a former singer who’s been building her career since childhood and retired at just 26. Nick is a college professor who went through a divorce a year ago. I’m obsessed with Nick—I already have a weakness for MMCs in glasses, but now I’ve unlocked a new obsession: MMCs with a little earring. It was so sexy.
If some of these tropes make you hesitant, I promise the relationship between the characters is incredibly tender and supportive, and their age gap is only 10 years. After her career, Ramona struggles with panic attacks and other issues, and I loved the way Nick supported her and helped her open up. Honestly, I also loved that he was willing to leave his job for Ramona.
The author also did such a beautiful job tackling important topics (childhood career exploitation, sexual and emotional abuse, issues with parents, self-identity) and really showed how cruel the music industry can be—especially for someone who’s been chasing a career since childhood.
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓ student/professor
✓ black cat/golden retriever
✓ forbidden romance
✓ age gap (26/36)
✓ no third-act breakup
✓ found family
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group (Berkley) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Ramona is a former singer who’s been building her career since childhood and retired at just 26. Nick is a college professor who went through a divorce a year ago. I’m obsessed with Nick—I already have a weakness for MMCs in glasses, but now I’ve unlocked a new obsession: MMCs with a little earring. It was so sexy.
If some of these tropes make you hesitant, I promise the relationship between the characters is incredibly tender and supportive, and their age gap is only 10 years. After her career, Ramona struggles with panic attacks and other issues, and I loved the way Nick supported her and helped her open up. Honestly, I also loved that he was willing to leave his job for Ramona.
The author also did such a beautiful job tackling important topics (childhood career exploitation, sexual and emotional abuse, issues with parents, self-identity) and really showed how cruel the music industry can be—especially for someone who’s been chasing a career since childhood.
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓ student/professor
✓ black cat/golden retriever
✓ forbidden romance
✓ age gap (26/36)
✓ no third-act breakup
✓ found family
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group (Berkley) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Want to Read
October 17, 2025OMG! The author just revealed the cover art for this and it is stunning! 😍 BrittanyKellerArt is such a Queen! Do yourself a favor and go check it out on the authors Insta! Looks like I’ll be reading a student-professor romance in July! 🔥
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
reviewed professionally: my link text
personally, i could not get past how unethical their relationship was, ymmv
personally, i could not get past how unethical their relationship was, ymmv
Did Not Finish
March 12, 202670 pages in and realised the 3rd person pov was irritating me too much and that I only like celebrity (adjacent or otherwise) romances if they’re sapphic ✨
March 28, 2026
Oh she’s taking it!!! Contemporary romance girlies be prepared. This will be in your top 10 for 2026.
More thoughts to come!
Edited to add: lovedddd it. If that wasn’t apparent already. I probably finished this in under 24 hours despite a full work day lol. Rachel always finds a way fit heavier subject matter with the lightheartedness of a rom com. Basically imagine if Sabrina Carpenter (Ramona) decided to retire right now and go to UCLA to figure out what she wanted to do next. She falls for the freshly divorced, hot psychology professor (who hasn’t!!!) with a slutty little earring (Nick). I really enjoyed the commentary on the ethics of child stars and parasocial celebrity relationships. And watching their own relationship develop throughout the novel had me giggling and kicking my feet!! Rachel Lynn Solomon has done it again!
- age gap (26 + 36)
- emotionally mature adults that still have baggage
- 2.5 or 3 🌶️
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC. Extracurricular comes out July 2026!
Trigger Warnings: coercive SA (off page but described) emotional parental abuse and disordered eating
More thoughts to come!
Edited to add: lovedddd it. If that wasn’t apparent already. I probably finished this in under 24 hours despite a full work day lol. Rachel always finds a way fit heavier subject matter with the lightheartedness of a rom com. Basically imagine if Sabrina Carpenter (Ramona) decided to retire right now and go to UCLA to figure out what she wanted to do next. She falls for the freshly divorced, hot psychology professor (who hasn’t!!!) with a slutty little earring (Nick). I really enjoyed the commentary on the ethics of child stars and parasocial celebrity relationships. And watching their own relationship develop throughout the novel had me giggling and kicking my feet!! Rachel Lynn Solomon has done it again!
- age gap (26 + 36)
- emotionally mature adults that still have baggage
- 2.5 or 3 🌶️
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC. Extracurricular comes out July 2026!
Trigger Warnings: coercive SA (off page but described) emotional parental abuse and disordered eating
July 8, 2026
4.25⭐️
Extracurricular delivered the perfect mix of emotional depth and spice. I really enjoyed the blend of humor and tenderness and I was invested in Ramona and Nick's relationship from the start. Ramona's journey of rediscovering herself outside of fame was really compelling and I appreciated how thoughtfully the story explored identity, healing and second chances. The chemistry between Ramona and Nick was so good. It had lots of tension and playful banter mixed with genuinely sweet moments. This was both a heartfelt and fun read that had me completely invested.
Extracurricular delivered the perfect mix of emotional depth and spice. I really enjoyed the blend of humor and tenderness and I was invested in Ramona and Nick's relationship from the start. Ramona's journey of rediscovering herself outside of fame was really compelling and I appreciated how thoughtfully the story explored identity, healing and second chances. The chemistry between Ramona and Nick was so good. It had lots of tension and playful banter mixed with genuinely sweet moments. This was both a heartfelt and fun read that had me completely invested.
March 2, 2026
I really struggled because I LOVE me some RLS! I think was instantly took me out of the story was the third person perspective. Neither character had a first person POV and i really think that resulted in less connection to both Ramona and Nick.
Plus with Ramona’s past, I really hated the power dynamics of Nick being her professor. I never quite got there feeling it was ok between that and him being 10 years older.
I’ll be back for the next RLS book!
Plus with Ramona’s past, I really hated the power dynamics of Nick being her professor. I never quite got there feeling it was ok between that and him being 10 years older.
I’ll be back for the next RLS book!
Want to Read
October 17, 2025What happens in Amsterdam was so fun, I’ll go into this in July with full faith that this will be just as amazing
Want to Read
April 22, 2026preread: berkley pls don't ever stop loving me!! the cover is soooo prettyyy oh my world
February 4, 2026
A surprisingly sweet forbidden romance between a former pop star (who left the music world at age 26, and who decides to go back to college) and her psych 101 professor (hot, 36, and recently divorced).
A student-teacher romance would normally be a HUGE no for me; but the age gap was only 10 years. And because Ramona was incredibly famous, it leveled off the power dynamics. I think Solomon handled it well!
A student-teacher romance would normally be a HUGE no for me; but the age gap was only 10 years. And because Ramona was incredibly famous, it leveled off the power dynamics. I think Solomon handled it well!
June 5, 2026
I adored this book, it’s easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. Their love story is one of my all time favourites - the tension, the spice and the way they fell in love was just 10/10.
Ramona is a pop star, and has been since she was a child - until she decides it’s time to ‘retire’. She wants to leave stardom behind and just have a ‘normal’ life. She’s suffering panic attacks and just wants to live without the constant scrutiny and a spotlight on her. Not to mention the fact her own mother is her biggest critic, thinking only of the bank notes instead of her own daughter. So she enrols in college, to gain the education experience she missed out on as a kid. What she doesn’t expect is to clash with one of her professors!
“It doesn’t matter, Nick decides after the meeting, that Ramona Wilder’s net worth is $28 million—he googled it—or that she has three Grammys. Some of his colleagues might fawn over a pop star, but in his classroom, everyone is equal. Once the quarter starts, she’ll be just another student. And he fully intends to treat her that way.”
Nick is her professor - recently divorced and struggling to move on with his life. He’s dubious about Ramona being in his class, worried it’s some sort of publicity stunt that’ll divert attention away from the ‘real’ students. There is, therefore, a whole lot of tension in their first interactions! Despite his instance she’ll be ‘just another student’ it’s clear from the start she’s never going to be that for him.
They make a pact - he’ll help her ‘be normal’ and she’ll help him learn how to date again. Sparks fly and tensions rise as their attraction to one another builds - with jobs on the line and the press hot on their heels, can they stay purely student and teacher? Or will they break all the rules?
“She feels a bit like a sunflower, her face tilted in his direction.”
The way in which they go from enemies to lovers and then friends - all with the forced proximity of the classroom - was such a good dynamic! I loved the tension of their student/professor relationship - but also the sweetness of their friendship as they reveal their true selves. Whilst they may have had a fiery start, they fell in love slowly and sweetly - and I just adored them!!
The spice was so good! If you’d have told me prior to this book I’d have thought an earring on a man was attractive, then I’d have laughed in your face - but Nick makes it hot! And don’t get me started on the way she calls him professor.
This is a book I’ll be recommending to everyone this summer - please go read it!
ARC copy provided by Penguin & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Ramona is a pop star, and has been since she was a child - until she decides it’s time to ‘retire’. She wants to leave stardom behind and just have a ‘normal’ life. She’s suffering panic attacks and just wants to live without the constant scrutiny and a spotlight on her. Not to mention the fact her own mother is her biggest critic, thinking only of the bank notes instead of her own daughter. So she enrols in college, to gain the education experience she missed out on as a kid. What she doesn’t expect is to clash with one of her professors!
“It doesn’t matter, Nick decides after the meeting, that Ramona Wilder’s net worth is $28 million—he googled it—or that she has three Grammys. Some of his colleagues might fawn over a pop star, but in his classroom, everyone is equal. Once the quarter starts, she’ll be just another student. And he fully intends to treat her that way.”
Nick is her professor - recently divorced and struggling to move on with his life. He’s dubious about Ramona being in his class, worried it’s some sort of publicity stunt that’ll divert attention away from the ‘real’ students. There is, therefore, a whole lot of tension in their first interactions! Despite his instance she’ll be ‘just another student’ it’s clear from the start she’s never going to be that for him.
They make a pact - he’ll help her ‘be normal’ and she’ll help him learn how to date again. Sparks fly and tensions rise as their attraction to one another builds - with jobs on the line and the press hot on their heels, can they stay purely student and teacher? Or will they break all the rules?
“She feels a bit like a sunflower, her face tilted in his direction.”
The way in which they go from enemies to lovers and then friends - all with the forced proximity of the classroom - was such a good dynamic! I loved the tension of their student/professor relationship - but also the sweetness of their friendship as they reveal their true selves. Whilst they may have had a fiery start, they fell in love slowly and sweetly - and I just adored them!!
The spice was so good! If you’d have told me prior to this book I’d have thought an earring on a man was attractive, then I’d have laughed in your face - but Nick makes it hot! And don’t get me started on the way she calls him professor.
This is a book I’ll be recommending to everyone this summer - please go read it!
ARC copy provided by Penguin & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
June 15, 2026
5/5 stars
Thank you @Berkley @PRHaudio and @Netgalley for this book in exchange for my review!
I truly devoured this book! I've read all but one of Rachel Lynn Solomon's romance novels and they are like a breath of fresh air to me. She writes incredibly real characters with real struggles and the steam she writes in books is so well done!
When this book became available, I knew I had to read it and now I can't wait to reread it!
This book is basically - a recently retired pop star goes back to college and falls for her professor. It's so much more than that, it is filled with grief, healing from trauma, family and really finding the ones that love you! Romona and Nick have my heart. bonus points for no third act breakup.
Read this book if you like:
-forbidden love - student/professor
-age gap (26/36)
-celebrity romance
-black cat/golden retriever
Thank you @Berkley @PRHaudio and @Netgalley for this book in exchange for my review!
I truly devoured this book! I've read all but one of Rachel Lynn Solomon's romance novels and they are like a breath of fresh air to me. She writes incredibly real characters with real struggles and the steam she writes in books is so well done!
When this book became available, I knew I had to read it and now I can't wait to reread it!
This book is basically - a recently retired pop star goes back to college and falls for her professor. It's so much more than that, it is filled with grief, healing from trauma, family and really finding the ones that love you! Romona and Nick have my heart. bonus points for no third act breakup.
Read this book if you like:
-forbidden love - student/professor
-age gap (26/36)
-celebrity romance
-black cat/golden retriever
July 5, 2026
Student/teacher relationships usually make me nervous because of the power imbalance but I think RLS did a really good job with this situation. Making Ramona an ex pop star made her have the power in the relationship and that really worked for me. Not my favorite from her but I think Nick might be my favorite male main character from her.
April 7, 2026
Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
This. Book. Oh. My. God. I haven't felt so invested and absolutely feral over a book in so long that this was very refreshing to read. Rachel's writing is extremely witty, natural, vulnerable and honest. Ramona is a character I want to be best friends with and I loved her journey after retiring from music. Her background with her family and history with exes made me want to crawl out of my skin and protect her at all costs. And my sweet Nick who had his reservations on Ramona when she joined his class, but they quickly could not resist one another. I thoroughly enjoyed the forbidden aspect between the two and was literally screaming and giggling at my kindle. The depth, vulnerability and growth shared between Ramona and Nick was truly beautiful to read and witness their happily ever after. I seriously wish I could read this for the first time and ride that high again. I'll be thinking about this one for a long, long time.
Rachel really outdid herself with this one and I seriously cannot wait for everyone to read it! Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the arc!
This. Book. Oh. My. God. I haven't felt so invested and absolutely feral over a book in so long that this was very refreshing to read. Rachel's writing is extremely witty, natural, vulnerable and honest. Ramona is a character I want to be best friends with and I loved her journey after retiring from music. Her background with her family and history with exes made me want to crawl out of my skin and protect her at all costs. And my sweet Nick who had his reservations on Ramona when she joined his class, but they quickly could not resist one another. I thoroughly enjoyed the forbidden aspect between the two and was literally screaming and giggling at my kindle. The depth, vulnerability and growth shared between Ramona and Nick was truly beautiful to read and witness their happily ever after. I seriously wish I could read this for the first time and ride that high again. I'll be thinking about this one for a long, long time.
Rachel really outdid herself with this one and I seriously cannot wait for everyone to read it! Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the arc!
June 3, 2026
Thoughts after finishing:
- I hate the name Ramona. Also didn’t like Ramona.
- I’ll die on the hill that romance books are always better in first person POV. The Third Person POV immediately made me dislike the book a bit.
- not a lot really happened. Def found myself not remembering chunks as I just read them. Like it wasn’t making an impact on me enough to really enjoy it.
- SA is a topic in the book and I do think it was done well with sensitivity. But I felt Ramona was so vulnerable and I HATED the power imbalance with the professor being a psych teacher of all the subjects. Like somehow this feels even more manipulative in a way? Or like it’s used as a way that he will better understand her and know how to be with her? I dunno. It just really bothered me. Maybe that’s a me thing.
- Nick kinda bored me.
- Where was the yearning?! Did they even have chemistry? I don’t really think so. Like that’s definitely missing…
All in all, this one was Meh… which made me sad considering I absolutely adored What Happens in Amsterdam.
April 19, 2026
The second book (in a row) of hers that I’ve not been a fan of 😕
March 20, 2026
Ughhh I was so ready to love this book! I went in with high expectations, in the mood for this kind of read, and since I’m a lot easier to please with these kinds of books because I specifically love Hollywood famous girl gets the regular guy type books, fully planning for this to at least be a 4 star read. But for me? This romance just wasn’t very believable :(
The concept of a world famous popstar disillusioned by fame and seeking a normal life is by no means an original concept, but I love the dynamic of famous girl, regular guy. A book about a stadium selling pop star who got her start on a Disney channel-esque kids show crashing out, leaving the industry, enrolling in college and falling in love with her professor is a concept I expected to love. It wasn’t the concept that was the issue. The romance just kind of came out of nowhere and was NOT at all believable. It didn’t feel authentic, and it felt like he was just going with it because she was pretty.
Look, when it comes to romance, I want a full on soulmates, I would die for you, I would die without you, type of thing. I typically need more than just a love story plot so if I’m going to read a romance, I want it to be all or nothing. This book was not that kind of love story. It wasn’t the warm fuzzies kind of romance, and it kinda felt like, Ramona latched onto Nick because he’s the only person that has ever treated her remotely well, ever.
The romance just didn’t convince me. I can understand why Ramona latched onto him (hot, older professor (plus her personality is the type who likes a challenge and he didn’t really like her at first) but I can’t see a 36 year old serious professor falling so fast and so easily for a popstar. Which, would be different if she showed up in his class and surprised him as someone who ended up being thoughtful, empathetic, intelligent, and hard working, but that is NOT Ramona at all. She exhibits a typical snarky pop star behavior, and I cannot see a serious college professor falling so quickly and easily. I mean, you can’t blame her for being prideful and high maintenance, as someone who has been rich and famous from a young age, but also, not every famous celebrity behaves like that or has that kind of almost diva like personality. Ramona just wasn’t likable to me. I get that opposites attract, but I was not at all convinced because the dynamic between the two just did not convince me or feel like a fit. It also got physical SO quickly I was like, are you kidding me lol it was so unconvincing. Their whole dynamic didn’t feel like love. It just felt like unconvincing lust.
Extracurricular only works for people who like reading about celebrities. If you like the celebrity in Hollywood + regular guy trope, you might like this more. If you don’t have any specific interest in that trope and are in it for the love story, you probably won’t like this at all. You really have to be into the Hollywood trope to want to keep reading, but aside from that, I can’t see a regular romance reader latching onto this couple. There’s not much of a plot in this book either, just vibes. Which doesn’t work if the pairing doesn’t work.
Great concept, not so great execution. Thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
The concept of a world famous popstar disillusioned by fame and seeking a normal life is by no means an original concept, but I love the dynamic of famous girl, regular guy. A book about a stadium selling pop star who got her start on a Disney channel-esque kids show crashing out, leaving the industry, enrolling in college and falling in love with her professor is a concept I expected to love. It wasn’t the concept that was the issue. The romance just kind of came out of nowhere and was NOT at all believable. It didn’t feel authentic, and it felt like he was just going with it because she was pretty.
Look, when it comes to romance, I want a full on soulmates, I would die for you, I would die without you, type of thing. I typically need more than just a love story plot so if I’m going to read a romance, I want it to be all or nothing. This book was not that kind of love story. It wasn’t the warm fuzzies kind of romance, and it kinda felt like, Ramona latched onto Nick because he’s the only person that has ever treated her remotely well, ever.
The romance just didn’t convince me. I can understand why Ramona latched onto him (hot, older professor (plus her personality is the type who likes a challenge and he didn’t really like her at first) but I can’t see a 36 year old serious professor falling so fast and so easily for a popstar. Which, would be different if she showed up in his class and surprised him as someone who ended up being thoughtful, empathetic, intelligent, and hard working, but that is NOT Ramona at all. She exhibits a typical snarky pop star behavior, and I cannot see a serious college professor falling so quickly and easily. I mean, you can’t blame her for being prideful and high maintenance, as someone who has been rich and famous from a young age, but also, not every famous celebrity behaves like that or has that kind of almost diva like personality. Ramona just wasn’t likable to me. I get that opposites attract, but I was not at all convinced because the dynamic between the two just did not convince me or feel like a fit. It also got physical SO quickly I was like, are you kidding me lol it was so unconvincing. Their whole dynamic didn’t feel like love. It just felt like unconvincing lust.
Extracurricular only works for people who like reading about celebrities. If you like the celebrity in Hollywood + regular guy trope, you might like this more. If you don’t have any specific interest in that trope and are in it for the love story, you probably won’t like this at all. You really have to be into the Hollywood trope to want to keep reading, but aside from that, I can’t see a regular romance reader latching onto this couple. There’s not much of a plot in this book either, just vibes. Which doesn’t work if the pairing doesn’t work.
Great concept, not so great execution. Thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
June 13, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
I LOVED THIS!!! This was just what I was wanting from this story! The writing in this was amazing and you really get to know the FMC and MMC. Ramona is such an interesting character to me and I really just loved her as the female main character! Nick is also just as interesting in his own way and I loved the way they fit together!
Honestly, the entire premise of professor x student normally has me stressing the entire time and dreading the conflict. However, the conflict in this was not difficult for me to read about and I enjoyed that there was a resolution with no miscommunication. With these characters, it absolutely could have been misconstrued and gone completely south, but thank everything in the world that it didn’t.
I cannot wait to purchase a copy when this book comes out because it is one I will continue to think about!
I did receive this as a digital ARC, so thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley for giving me the opportunity to read this incredible book! All opinions are my own.
I LOVED THIS!!! This was just what I was wanting from this story! The writing in this was amazing and you really get to know the FMC and MMC. Ramona is such an interesting character to me and I really just loved her as the female main character! Nick is also just as interesting in his own way and I loved the way they fit together!
Honestly, the entire premise of professor x student normally has me stressing the entire time and dreading the conflict. However, the conflict in this was not difficult for me to read about and I enjoyed that there was a resolution with no miscommunication. With these characters, it absolutely could have been misconstrued and gone completely south, but thank everything in the world that it didn’t.
I cannot wait to purchase a copy when this book comes out because it is one I will continue to think about!
I did receive this as a digital ARC, so thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley for giving me the opportunity to read this incredible book! All opinions are my own.
June 24, 2026
I’m sad I finished this book so fast but omg it was that good!! This is the romance books I love with a heavy angst and witty banter. I loved everything about this book and I’m so happy I went into it blind. I fell in love with Professor Nick, he legit had my tummy hurting from all the butterflies. A 36 year old newly divorced pysch professor at UCLA with a gold hoop earring?? FERAL. I appreciated that there wasn’t a third act breakup as well because we got more romantic scenes with Ramona and Nick. I usually don’t like pop star romance books but this was very natural and not cringey at all to read. I was inspired by Ramona when she quit her celebrity life to find her true passion and purpose and was very satisfied with the ending.
Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the ARC!! Ya’ll need to add this to your TBR’s if you’re fans of a hot professor with a slutty earring!! 💖
Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the ARC!! Ya’ll need to add this to your TBR’s if you’re fans of a hot professor with a slutty earring!! 💖
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was so excited to receive this ARC in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley! I love books where the main character has an interesting job or role in society, and Ramona's life as a retired pop star drew me in immediately. From the very first chapter, I found myself immersed in Ramona's world and eager to root for her as she leaves it to discover who she really is and what she wants to do with her life on her own terms.
For the most part, I really enjoyed Extracurricular. The narration has strong voice and lots of personality for both Nick and Ramona, which made Extracurricular one of those rare dual-pov reads where I wasn't finding myself more eager to read one character's pov over another, but instead enjoying both equally.
The discussion of SA and autonomy in relation to one of the characters in this book was also done in a way that felt respectful of the enormity of the issue and gave more depth to her character and story. I appreciated that not all of Ramona's arc was dedicated to falling in love, and some was about coming to terms with her old life and figuring out how to move forward.
One of the only things I didn't love about this book was the inclusion of Ramona trying to set Nick up or teach him how to date again—it didn't feel natural to the relationship that was developing between them. I think it made the book feel a bit heavy on the tropes, when it could have stood on its own better without these small scenes. Other than that, I truly enjoyed Extracurricular!
For the most part, I really enjoyed Extracurricular. The narration has strong voice and lots of personality for both Nick and Ramona, which made Extracurricular one of those rare dual-pov reads where I wasn't finding myself more eager to read one character's pov over another, but instead enjoying both equally.
The discussion of SA and autonomy in relation to one of the characters in this book was also done in a way that felt respectful of the enormity of the issue and gave more depth to her character and story. I appreciated that not all of Ramona's arc was dedicated to falling in love, and some was about coming to terms with her old life and figuring out how to move forward.
One of the only things I didn't love about this book was the inclusion of Ramona trying to set Nick up or teach him how to date again—it didn't feel natural to the relationship that was developing between them. I think it made the book feel a bit heavy on the tropes, when it could have stood on its own better without these small scenes. Other than that, I truly enjoyed Extracurricular!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2026
The chokehold this book had on me… I couldn’t put it down. I don’t even remember if I brushed my teeth today.
Something about retired pop star + professor WORKED for me. Flirty! Tender! Stakes that didn’t take over the whole story in an unnecessary way!
This is my favorite Rachel Lynn Solomon by a landslide, and not just because I still have a crush on one of my college professors.
Something about retired pop star + professor WORKED for me. Flirty! Tender! Stakes that didn’t take over the whole story in an unnecessary way!
This is my favorite Rachel Lynn Solomon by a landslide, and not just because I still have a crush on one of my college professors.
Want to Read
July 3, 2026🎓💖 Extracurricular 💖🎓
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
✨ What to Expect
• College Romance
• Professor x Student
• Celebrity FMC
• Forbidden Romance
• Opposites Attract
_ _ _
📅 Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
✨ What to Expect
• College Romance
• Professor x Student
• Celebrity FMC
• Forbidden Romance
• Opposites Attract
_ _ _
📅 Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Want to Read
February 22, 2026i hate the student/teacher trope but like cmonnn it's rachel lynn solomon what could go wrong?!
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