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Extracurricular
The new enemies to lovers and forced proximity rom com from the New York Times bestselling author of What Happens in Amsterdam - available to pre-order now!
When a former popstar enrols at college, the last thing she needs is A-plus chemistry with her psychology professor . . .
Three-time Grammy award winner Ramona Wilder has spent her youth selling out arenas. Now at age twenty-six she just wants to be ‘normal’ - starting with a place at college.
Professor Nick Navarro, recently divorced from his teenage sweetheart, is determined that the new celebrity enrolment is just another student - even if he has seen her lighting up the stage in combat boots and ripped tights . . .
But when Ramona blazes into class and is even more beautiful than her press photos, Nick is rattled, and she cannot help but push every single one of his buttons.
When Ramona's old life comes calling her back, is Nick just a brief distraction? Or a first chance at something real?
Praise for Rachel Lynn
'An unputdownable, sexy riot!' CHRISTINA LAUREN
'The spice was unparalleled' READER REVIEW *****
'Delightfully addictive and downright red-hot spicy!' AMY LEA
'My read it, and you'll be on cloud nine' ALI HAZELWOOD
'A sexy storm of a book' SOPHIE COUSENS
'Probably my favourite romcom ever' READER REVIEW *****
When a former popstar enrols at college, the last thing she needs is A-plus chemistry with her psychology professor . . .
Three-time Grammy award winner Ramona Wilder has spent her youth selling out arenas. Now at age twenty-six she just wants to be ‘normal’ - starting with a place at college.
Professor Nick Navarro, recently divorced from his teenage sweetheart, is determined that the new celebrity enrolment is just another student - even if he has seen her lighting up the stage in combat boots and ripped tights . . .
But when Ramona blazes into class and is even more beautiful than her press photos, Nick is rattled, and she cannot help but push every single one of his buttons.
When Ramona's old life comes calling her back, is Nick just a brief distraction? Or a first chance at something real?
Praise for Rachel Lynn
'An unputdownable, sexy riot!' CHRISTINA LAUREN
'The spice was unparalleled' READER REVIEW *****
'Delightfully addictive and downright red-hot spicy!' AMY LEA
'My read it, and you'll be on cloud nine' ALI HAZELWOOD
'A sexy storm of a book' SOPHIE COUSENS
'Probably my favourite romcom ever' READER REVIEW *****
391 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 14, 2026
About the author
Rachel Lynn Solomon
15 books8,873 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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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 “He wants to tell her that he'd sooner be the one on his knees-that it's precisely what he pictured when he fell apart last night.”
ᯤ ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ "You're this incredible, unstoppable force. You realized it was hurting you, and you got out. That's the exact opposite of failure. I just-l hope you know how in awe of you I am."
ᯤ ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ “Sometimes I think I might stop breathing unless I can have you in any way you'd let me."
ᯤ ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ "Then fuck it," she says with a fistful of his shirt. "Have me."
ᯤ ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ “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.”
── ⋆⋅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 “He wants to tell her that he'd sooner be the one on his knees-that it's precisely what he pictured when he fell apart last night.”
ᯤ ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ "You're this incredible, unstoppable force. You realized it was hurting you, and you got out. That's the exact opposite of failure. I just-l hope you know how in awe of you I am."
ᯤ ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ “Sometimes I think I might stop breathing unless I can have you in any way you'd let me."
ᯤ ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ "Then fuck it," she says with a fistful of his shirt. "Have me."
ᯤ ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ “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.”
── ⋆⋅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❣️💋".
July 15, 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! ♥︎
Did Not Finish
July 21, 2026DNF @ 30%
I have loved books from this author in the past. I LOVED The Ex Talk, I gave it 5 stars. And I've been highly anticipating this book for months, the premise sounded so fun and forbidden and juicy, and I also loooooooooove the cover, it's freaking gorgeous, one of my favorite romance covers I've ever seen. But sadly, this is a DNF for me at 30% in. These characters are driving me absolutely nuts, I don't care for the writing and I'm not vibing with the romance. I'm sooooo upset :(
I have loved books from this author in the past. I LOVED The Ex Talk, I gave it 5 stars. And I've been highly anticipating this book for months, the premise sounded so fun and forbidden and juicy, and I also loooooooooove the cover, it's freaking gorgeous, one of my favorite romance covers I've ever seen. But sadly, this is a DNF for me at 30% in. These characters are driving me absolutely nuts, I don't care for the writing and I'm not vibing with the romance. I'm sooooo upset :(
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
˗ˏˋ 4 stars ⟡ ݁₊ .
okay so i'm a little mad that i didn't start reading this earlier and kept putting it off for no reason.. this is my first rachel lynn solomon book but definitely not the last. i'm probably going to go read her entire backlist soon~
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• ramona wilder
literally gives off hannah montana vibes especially in her first chapter where she's singing on stage then gets off. i loved how she's determined to figure out what she wants to do with her life after retiring from being a pop singer. i loved how she's willing to get out of her comfort zone and constantly challenging herself.
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• nick navarro
loved that he's so patient with her and helps her through a panic attack! i feel like he's the kind of guy that makes you feel seen and heard in a relationship, and you can be your most authentic self. like you know you're safe with him! in other words, a raging green flag imo
with that said, i loved them together but at the same time i feel like they got together a lil fast? it felt like borderline insta-lovey, and i think i was just expecting more of the "we cant" and back and forth yearning cuz she's a student and he's a professor.
other than that, it was such a fun read! and the cover is gorgeous!
⤷ thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶
₊˚⊹♡ pre-read ♡⊹˚₊ ↴
11/07/2026 — just realised this is coming out on tuesday so i'm picking it up now!
22/04/2026 — berkley pls don't ever stop loving me!! the cover is soooo prettyyy oh my world. no idea what the book is even about lol
okay so i'm a little mad that i didn't start reading this earlier and kept putting it off for no reason.. this is my first rachel lynn solomon book but definitely not the last. i'm probably going to go read her entire backlist soon~
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• ramona wilder
literally gives off hannah montana vibes especially in her first chapter where she's singing on stage then gets off. i loved how she's determined to figure out what she wants to do with her life after retiring from being a pop singer. i loved how she's willing to get out of her comfort zone and constantly challenging herself.
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• nick navarro
loved that he's so patient with her and helps her through a panic attack! i feel like he's the kind of guy that makes you feel seen and heard in a relationship, and you can be your most authentic self. like you know you're safe with him! in other words, a raging green flag imo
with that said, i loved them together but at the same time i feel like they got together a lil fast? it felt like borderline insta-lovey, and i think i was just expecting more of the "we cant" and back and forth yearning cuz she's a student and he's a professor.
other than that, it was such a fun read! and the cover is gorgeous!
⤷ thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶
₊˚⊹♡ pre-read ♡⊹˚₊ ↴
11/07/2026 — just realised this is coming out on tuesday so i'm picking it up now!
22/04/2026 — berkley pls don't ever stop loving me!! the cover is soooo prettyyy oh my world. no idea what the book is even about lol
July 9, 2026
no amount of money could ever make me touch this book again TF 😀
if there ever was an example of a clickbait cover and synopsis then it would be this book because the level of rage that EVERYTHING inside put me through has to be studied.
genuinely so irritated that I don’t even know where to begin so…CHARACTERS!
both Ramona and Nick need therapy. apparently they already had therapists but that was clearly not enough because the stupidity inside of them was astounding.
Ramona: after retiring from the spotlight she decides to enroll into university (or college as the Americans call it), whilst also having some family problems and internal struggles.
she had a therapist but didn’t want to bother her so instead tried to go through it herself whilst clearly struggling with panic attacks and self loathing.
now that’s not the problem here. in fact, good on Rachel for shining some light on the not so glamorous sides of being a pop singer.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT RAMONA DOESNT IMPROVE. She doesn’t go get help or have any self growth so her latching onto Nick just makes their relationship look like some dependancy thing. (aka, gave big daddy issue vibes)
Whenever something went wrong, she had to run to him instead of building a strong support system and although he would make her feel better, neither of them think that hey, maybe getting her therapist back would be good for her??
Her interest/relationship w Nick essentially began because ‘he wasn’t like other men 😍’ - here’s the quote (because I like to be an educated hater): *The guy she dated after Zander would tease, begging for just one shot of her tits, something he could use to keep him company while she was on tour*
WHICH IS REALLY FUCKING CONVENIENT because only a few pages later, she’s in Nick’s office taking off her shirt and asking “Do you want me on my knees?”, “If you’re going to come, you can do it on my tits or my ass.”
…and then she left her panties in his bag for him 🥰🥰🥰💀
MAAM? THIS IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO AND YOU BARELY KNOW THE MAN - YOU’VE KNOWN HIM FOR A WEEK AT BEST???????? AND HE’S YOUR PROFESSOR??
Bear in mind, she also initiates all the innuendos and sexting and everything in between to turn him on which IS CONTRADICTING HERSELF. She fucking starts stroking his hair and doing all this AFTER THE MAN PICKED HER UP AFTER SHE HAD AN ANXIETY ATTACK. Get a therapist, it’s giving Stockholm syndrome??????
AFTER HE FINDS HER, HE TAKES HER TO EAT TACOS AND SHE DECIDES TO TELL HIM SHE THINKS HE’S HOT? MAAM? MAAM PLEASE. THIS ISNT EVEN AN HOUR LATER.
Did I also mention that THE WEEK AFTER he saves her from her panic attack, she asks him for his number and ASKS HIM WHEN HE LAST WENT ON A DATE and then SEXTS HIM????
EXAMPLES OF THE MESSAGES:
R: ah. wow. so it’s been a while (since he last dated). you could practice on me. give me a compliment.
R: you don’t find me attractive?
R: I’m asking about you. are *you* attracted to me, professor?
ISTG THIS IS STUPID.
N: Yes. Very.
they told me I’d be reading YEARNING (shame on you Berkeley), forbidden romance, some sort of secrecy and I get this bullshit?!
R: maybe you’d find some excuse to touch me. this perfect look of anticipation right before you kiss me. after that…I think id want to see you lose control a bit.
R: maybe I’d want you to push me up against that desk in your office. and then you’d probably want to unbutton my shirt.
N: I would.
R: you’d put your mouth on me, I’d be moaning your name
DUDE FUCKING WHIPS OUT HIS DICK AND JERKS OFF TO HER TEXTS. WHAT THE FUCKITY FUCK AM I READING?? FIRE THIS MAN NOW.
Nick also needs help. Genuinely cannot believe that this man is a professor. (I don’t even to know where to start I have so many highlights)
We learn that he had a divorce a year ago and was still struggling as he felt as though his growing distance with his ex-wife was the reason she began looking for intimacy with one of her colleagues, and he isn’t sure if he’s ready to go back to the dating world. WE ONLY SAW ONE THERAPY SESSION/MEMORY AND THAT WAS ALL, so it felt as though oh it was added for the sake of being added.
Additionally, when the dean first mentions that Ramona would be joining, he’s “not like other teachers that are so excited that a cool retired popstar is coming here 😍😍”
No no, Nick tells us (IN HIS OWN WORDS)
*Some of his colleagues might fawn over a pop star, but in his classroom, everyone is equal. Once the quarter stars, she’ll be just another student.*
You’ll never guess how long that lasts. 🤡
Not even a chapter later, he thinks: “Even if [Ramona] doesn’t realise it, she’s already getting special treatment.”
And later, “he passes back Ramona’s paper with a more than respectable B+ circled in red at the top.”
Another thing that enrages me is the lack of consequences. Not only in the characters’ actions but also the lack of accountability from the people around them.
Ramona is 26 and Nick is around 36-38? so the age gap isn’t too bad but they both seem to go to shops and cafes and games in public and then get SURPRISED when someone or the media sees them or thinks they’re dating? 💀
Additionally, deciding to fuck like rabbits in his office, in his sister’s house, at one of the apartments they were house hunting at, and then god forbid they almost get caught?
Why are we thinking with our dicks, especially when there’s other people around?
The other characters enraged me, Nick’s sister and the dean because they know perfectly well that Ramona is his student and yet there’s no stakes or consequences at all?
When Nick tells his sister that Ramona is “just a friend 🥰🥰”, rather than remind him that hey, that’s his student, hey he’s on tenure and hey, he could get fired?
No. No. She says “She’s older than the rest of your students though, right? PROFESSIONALISM ASIDE-“ pardon the fuck now. “Ten years isn’t that dramatic. Especially in LA. She’s an adult. You’re an adult. And she’s arguably lived through more than most people her age.”
And then after videos of him kissing her in public are leaked, Ramona finishes her semester and Nick goes to hand his resignation because CONSEQUENCES.
He goes to the dean and she SHREDS his resignation letter and even though he violated campus conduct by starting his relationship whilst Ramona was a student, THE DEAN DOESNT CARE 🥰🥰
The dean: “we’ve gotten some emails, yes. But people love complaining ( especially to a large publicly funded university like ours, and if I had to let go of everyone who’s ever had so much as a disagreement…well there probably wouldn’t be anyone left on staff. But it’s a little murky, isn’t it, since the video went up after the quarter ended, and after final grades were submitted. She just transferred to the business school. So technically, this is entirely out of my jurisdiction, and I’d say you don’t have anything to worry about.”
Fan-fucking-tastic. No consequences for anything. This shouldn’t even be classed as ‘forbidden romance’ because there was no sense of that at all.
The Dean goes on to say: “I know you’re trying to do the valiant, honourable thing here. I really hate the idea of us losing you. My husband was my TA when we met, back in grad school. We didn’t tell anyone until after he graduated.”
A TA IS SO DIFFERENT TO A PROFESSOR SHUT UP. THE RAGEBAIT IS EXCRUCIATING.
There was also 0 plot. I only finished this book because I hate to DNF and it was an e-arc but there is nothing to be invested in. As I mentioned, insta attraction and banging straight away so that rules out any potential yearning. Rachel had this talent of ruining any wholesome moment by having to drop some sexual thought or innuendo (did Ramona really have to feel horny and moan while she was sick and Nick offered to wash her hair…that could have been sweet but it just had to be ruined.) so i didn’t even understand how they managed to establish a relationship.
There’s also zero consequences for either of them. Mentally I think they both still need to resolve some of their own issues and find some self growth and self love because this shit was concerning. And the third person pov meant that there was so much telling and no showing so I couldn’t even connect with them on an emotional level.
The only ‘plot’ was Ramona electing herself as Nick’s dating coach which lasted all but two chapters before they started snogging.
This was so utterly bizarre to read and as much as I loved the beautiful cover, the story itself doesn’t do any justice to it.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
if there ever was an example of a clickbait cover and synopsis then it would be this book because the level of rage that EVERYTHING inside put me through has to be studied.
genuinely so irritated that I don’t even know where to begin so…CHARACTERS!
both Ramona and Nick need therapy. apparently they already had therapists but that was clearly not enough because the stupidity inside of them was astounding.
Ramona: after retiring from the spotlight she decides to enroll into university (or college as the Americans call it), whilst also having some family problems and internal struggles.
she had a therapist but didn’t want to bother her so instead tried to go through it herself whilst clearly struggling with panic attacks and self loathing.
now that’s not the problem here. in fact, good on Rachel for shining some light on the not so glamorous sides of being a pop singer.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT RAMONA DOESNT IMPROVE. She doesn’t go get help or have any self growth so her latching onto Nick just makes their relationship look like some dependancy thing. (aka, gave big daddy issue vibes)
Whenever something went wrong, she had to run to him instead of building a strong support system and although he would make her feel better, neither of them think that hey, maybe getting her therapist back would be good for her??
Her interest/relationship w Nick essentially began because ‘he wasn’t like other men 😍’ - here’s the quote (because I like to be an educated hater): *The guy she dated after Zander would tease, begging for just one shot of her tits, something he could use to keep him company while she was on tour*
WHICH IS REALLY FUCKING CONVENIENT because only a few pages later, she’s in Nick’s office taking off her shirt and asking “Do you want me on my knees?”, “If you’re going to come, you can do it on my tits or my ass.”
…and then she left her panties in his bag for him 🥰🥰🥰💀
MAAM? THIS IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO AND YOU BARELY KNOW THE MAN - YOU’VE KNOWN HIM FOR A WEEK AT BEST???????? AND HE’S YOUR PROFESSOR??
Bear in mind, she also initiates all the innuendos and sexting and everything in between to turn him on which IS CONTRADICTING HERSELF. She fucking starts stroking his hair and doing all this AFTER THE MAN PICKED HER UP AFTER SHE HAD AN ANXIETY ATTACK. Get a therapist, it’s giving Stockholm syndrome??????
AFTER HE FINDS HER, HE TAKES HER TO EAT TACOS AND SHE DECIDES TO TELL HIM SHE THINKS HE’S HOT? MAAM? MAAM PLEASE. THIS ISNT EVEN AN HOUR LATER.
Did I also mention that THE WEEK AFTER he saves her from her panic attack, she asks him for his number and ASKS HIM WHEN HE LAST WENT ON A DATE and then SEXTS HIM????
EXAMPLES OF THE MESSAGES:
R: ah. wow. so it’s been a while (since he last dated). you could practice on me. give me a compliment.
R: you don’t find me attractive?
R: I’m asking about you. are *you* attracted to me, professor?
ISTG THIS IS STUPID.
N: Yes. Very.
they told me I’d be reading YEARNING (shame on you Berkeley), forbidden romance, some sort of secrecy and I get this bullshit?!
R: maybe you’d find some excuse to touch me. this perfect look of anticipation right before you kiss me. after that…I think id want to see you lose control a bit.
R: maybe I’d want you to push me up against that desk in your office. and then you’d probably want to unbutton my shirt.
N: I would.
R: you’d put your mouth on me, I’d be moaning your name
DUDE FUCKING WHIPS OUT HIS DICK AND JERKS OFF TO HER TEXTS. WHAT THE FUCKITY FUCK AM I READING?? FIRE THIS MAN NOW.
Nick also needs help. Genuinely cannot believe that this man is a professor. (I don’t even to know where to start I have so many highlights)
We learn that he had a divorce a year ago and was still struggling as he felt as though his growing distance with his ex-wife was the reason she began looking for intimacy with one of her colleagues, and he isn’t sure if he’s ready to go back to the dating world. WE ONLY SAW ONE THERAPY SESSION/MEMORY AND THAT WAS ALL, so it felt as though oh it was added for the sake of being added.
Additionally, when the dean first mentions that Ramona would be joining, he’s “not like other teachers that are so excited that a cool retired popstar is coming here 😍😍”
No no, Nick tells us (IN HIS OWN WORDS)
*Some of his colleagues might fawn over a pop star, but in his classroom, everyone is equal. Once the quarter stars, she’ll be just another student.*
You’ll never guess how long that lasts. 🤡
Not even a chapter later, he thinks: “Even if [Ramona] doesn’t realise it, she’s already getting special treatment.”
And later, “he passes back Ramona’s paper with a more than respectable B+ circled in red at the top.”
Another thing that enrages me is the lack of consequences. Not only in the characters’ actions but also the lack of accountability from the people around them.
Ramona is 26 and Nick is around 36-38? so the age gap isn’t too bad but they both seem to go to shops and cafes and games in public and then get SURPRISED when someone or the media sees them or thinks they’re dating? 💀
Additionally, deciding to fuck like rabbits in his office, in his sister’s house, at one of the apartments they were house hunting at, and then god forbid they almost get caught?
Why are we thinking with our dicks, especially when there’s other people around?
The other characters enraged me, Nick’s sister and the dean because they know perfectly well that Ramona is his student and yet there’s no stakes or consequences at all?
When Nick tells his sister that Ramona is “just a friend 🥰🥰”, rather than remind him that hey, that’s his student, hey he’s on tenure and hey, he could get fired?
No. No. She says “She’s older than the rest of your students though, right? PROFESSIONALISM ASIDE-“ pardon the fuck now. “Ten years isn’t that dramatic. Especially in LA. She’s an adult. You’re an adult. And she’s arguably lived through more than most people her age.”
And then after videos of him kissing her in public are leaked, Ramona finishes her semester and Nick goes to hand his resignation because CONSEQUENCES.
He goes to the dean and she SHREDS his resignation letter and even though he violated campus conduct by starting his relationship whilst Ramona was a student, THE DEAN DOESNT CARE 🥰🥰
The dean: “we’ve gotten some emails, yes. But people love complaining ( especially to a large publicly funded university like ours, and if I had to let go of everyone who’s ever had so much as a disagreement…well there probably wouldn’t be anyone left on staff. But it’s a little murky, isn’t it, since the video went up after the quarter ended, and after final grades were submitted. She just transferred to the business school. So technically, this is entirely out of my jurisdiction, and I’d say you don’t have anything to worry about.”
Fan-fucking-tastic. No consequences for anything. This shouldn’t even be classed as ‘forbidden romance’ because there was no sense of that at all.
The Dean goes on to say: “I know you’re trying to do the valiant, honourable thing here. I really hate the idea of us losing you. My husband was my TA when we met, back in grad school. We didn’t tell anyone until after he graduated.”
A TA IS SO DIFFERENT TO A PROFESSOR SHUT UP. THE RAGEBAIT IS EXCRUCIATING.
There was also 0 plot. I only finished this book because I hate to DNF and it was an e-arc but there is nothing to be invested in. As I mentioned, insta attraction and banging straight away so that rules out any potential yearning. Rachel had this talent of ruining any wholesome moment by having to drop some sexual thought or innuendo (did Ramona really have to feel horny and moan while she was sick and Nick offered to wash her hair…that could have been sweet but it just had to be ruined.) so i didn’t even understand how they managed to establish a relationship.
There’s also zero consequences for either of them. Mentally I think they both still need to resolve some of their own issues and find some self growth and self love because this shit was concerning. And the third person pov meant that there was so much telling and no showing so I couldn’t even connect with them on an emotional level.
The only ‘plot’ was Ramona electing herself as Nick’s dating coach which lasted all but two chapters before they started snogging.
This was so utterly bizarre to read and as much as I loved the beautiful cover, the story itself doesn’t do any justice to it.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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.
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
July 18, 2026
all her books top the last one!!!!!
Currently Reading
August 1, 2026Starting this pretty book!
OMG! 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! 🔥
OMG! 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! 🔥
July 22, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If a book has me kicking my feet, squealing, and simultaneously squeezing my heart, it’s an easy five stars.
I absolutely adored Ramona and Nick. They were both carrying so much and had lost pieces of themselves along the way. As unexpected as their relationship was, meeting each other turned out to be exactly what they both needed.
Ramona needed someone who would answer the phone, truly listen, and remind her that she wasn’t alone. Nick needed someone who would help him loosen up, laugh again, and remember what it felt like to be happy. Watching them become that person for each other was beautiful.
Their chemistry was instant, and the banter only made it better. Every conversation pulled them closer together, but it was the way Nick consistently showed up for Ramona that completely stole my heart.
This story is so much more than a romance. It’s about hope, healing, grief, and learning that it’s okay to lean on someone when life feels impossibly heavy. Rachel Lynn Solomon delivered a heartfelt, emotional love story that left me smiling through happy tears.
If a book has me kicking my feet, squealing, and simultaneously squeezing my heart, it’s an easy five stars.
I absolutely adored Ramona and Nick. They were both carrying so much and had lost pieces of themselves along the way. As unexpected as their relationship was, meeting each other turned out to be exactly what they both needed.
Ramona needed someone who would answer the phone, truly listen, and remind her that she wasn’t alone. Nick needed someone who would help him loosen up, laugh again, and remember what it felt like to be happy. Watching them become that person for each other was beautiful.
Their chemistry was instant, and the banter only made it better. Every conversation pulled them closer together, but it was the way Nick consistently showed up for Ramona that completely stole my heart.
This story is so much more than a romance. It’s about hope, healing, grief, and learning that it’s okay to lean on someone when life feels impossibly heavy. Rachel Lynn Solomon delivered a heartfelt, emotional love story that left me smiling through happy tears.
August 1, 2026
4.25! this was such a sweet read, i adored this one <3
July 17, 2026
There is a specific kind of exhaustion that comes from being adored by millions and known by almost no one. That ache sits at the center of Extracurricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon, a warm, spiky, and frequently very steamy romance about a woman who walks away from stadium lights to sit in the back row of a psychology lecture. It is a book about fame, sure, but mostly it is a book about the strange work of figuring out who you are when nobody is telling you who to be.
Class Is in Session: The Premise
Ramona Wilder quit music at twenty-six after a lifetime in the spotlight, first as a child sitcom star, then as a three-time Grammy winner whose fans wept in the aisles. Craving something that resembles a regular life, she enrolls as a college freshman at UCLA. Nick Navarro, a recently divorced psychology professor with a strict ten-minute daily limit on feeling sorry for himself, walks into fall quarter promising to treat his celebrity student like anyone else. That plan lasts roughly one class period. What begins with a fumbled first day (and a very unfortunate incident involving his beloved ancient Prius) turns into a careful friendship, then into something neither of them can talk themselves out of.
The setup carries obvious tension, and to the author's credit, she never pretends it doesn't. His tenure, her studies, the ten years between them, the imbalance of a professor and a student: all of it stays on the page rather than getting waved away.
Two People Learning to Be Ordinary
The real pleasure here is watching two guarded people figure out how to want something honest. Ramona is prickly, funny, and bone-tired, a heroine whose defensiveness never tips into unlikability because you understand exactly where it came from. Nick is the rarer creation: a genuinely kind man written without turning kindness into a personality-free snooze. His dad jokes are terrible in the best way, his bond with his teenage niece Audrey is a highlight, and his optimism reads as hard-won instead of naive.
What makes them click:
Banter with teeth. Their back-and-forth is fast and specific, the kind that reveals character rather than just filling air.
Friendship first. Their arrangement, where she coaches him back into dating and he coaches her toward normal, is a little convenient as a device, but it earns the slow burn.
Mutual seeing. Each is starved for someone who looks past the obvious version of them, and the book makes that hunger feel real.
About the Heat
This is a properly explicit read, closer to open-door than fade-to-black. The intimate scenes are frank, consent-forward, and tied to what these two actually need from each other, so they read as character development rather than filler. Readers who prefer their romance chaste should know that going in.
Under the Glitter: Fame and the Cost of Being Watched
Solomon has clearly thought hard about the machinery that turns young girls into products. Ramona's history, the leering countdown-to-eighteen websites, the panic attacks before shows, the mother-manager who ran her daughter like a family business, lands with real anger and precision. Anyone who has followed the public unraveling and reclamation of a certain generation of pop stars will recognize the emotional truth in these pages. The novel also carries a heavier thread about past harm, and it handles that material with care, giving Ramona agency instead of treating her pain as set dressing.
This is where Extracurricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon reaches for more than a cute meet-cute, and mostly gets there.
What Works Beautifully
Ramona's voice. Sharp, self-aware, and quietly wrecking when she finally drops the armor.
Nick as a green flag done right. Warm without being dull, steady without being passive.
The supporting cast. Betty, the trainer turned best friend, and Audrey, the deadpan niece, both threaten to steal every scene they enter.
The epistolary breaks. Texts, emails, Post-it notes, and a wickedly funny fake tabloid article add texture and keep the pace moving.
Emotional intelligence. The story takes its heroine's recovery seriously without curdling into grimness.
Where It Stumbles
No book earns unanimous love, and this one has a few soft spots worth naming honestly:
The ethics stay comfortable. The professor-student risk is acknowledged but rarely allowed to generate real dread; the plot tends to shield the couple from consequences.
A crowded final stretch. The fame plot and the heavier justice storyline both arrive fairly late, stacking a lot of weight onto the back third and swinging the tone from playful to heavy in a hurry.
A one-note antagonist. Ramona's mother functions well as a villain but rarely gets more dimension than "controlling."
A tidy convenience or two. The friends-to-forever machinery occasionally smooths its own path a bit too neatly.
None of it sinks the book. It does explain why a reader might close the last page charmed rather than floored.
A Note on Content
In her author's note, Solomon flags emotional abuse by a parent, panic attacks, and references to past sexual assault (discussed rather than shown on the page). Worth knowing before you start, depending on your reading headspace.
The Final Word
Extracurricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon is a smart, sexy, and tender story that occasionally plays its riskiest cards a little safe. It works best as a portrait of a woman rebuilding a self, wrapped around a love story that gives her the room to do it. If you want a romance that is funny on the surface and thoughtful underneath, this one earns its spot on your list, even as it stops just short of the very top of Solomon's shelf.
Class Is in Session: The Premise
Ramona Wilder quit music at twenty-six after a lifetime in the spotlight, first as a child sitcom star, then as a three-time Grammy winner whose fans wept in the aisles. Craving something that resembles a regular life, she enrolls as a college freshman at UCLA. Nick Navarro, a recently divorced psychology professor with a strict ten-minute daily limit on feeling sorry for himself, walks into fall quarter promising to treat his celebrity student like anyone else. That plan lasts roughly one class period. What begins with a fumbled first day (and a very unfortunate incident involving his beloved ancient Prius) turns into a careful friendship, then into something neither of them can talk themselves out of.
The setup carries obvious tension, and to the author's credit, she never pretends it doesn't. His tenure, her studies, the ten years between them, the imbalance of a professor and a student: all of it stays on the page rather than getting waved away.
Two People Learning to Be Ordinary
The real pleasure here is watching two guarded people figure out how to want something honest. Ramona is prickly, funny, and bone-tired, a heroine whose defensiveness never tips into unlikability because you understand exactly where it came from. Nick is the rarer creation: a genuinely kind man written without turning kindness into a personality-free snooze. His dad jokes are terrible in the best way, his bond with his teenage niece Audrey is a highlight, and his optimism reads as hard-won instead of naive.
What makes them click:
Banter with teeth. Their back-and-forth is fast and specific, the kind that reveals character rather than just filling air.
Friendship first. Their arrangement, where she coaches him back into dating and he coaches her toward normal, is a little convenient as a device, but it earns the slow burn.
Mutual seeing. Each is starved for someone who looks past the obvious version of them, and the book makes that hunger feel real.
About the Heat
This is a properly explicit read, closer to open-door than fade-to-black. The intimate scenes are frank, consent-forward, and tied to what these two actually need from each other, so they read as character development rather than filler. Readers who prefer their romance chaste should know that going in.
Under the Glitter: Fame and the Cost of Being Watched
Solomon has clearly thought hard about the machinery that turns young girls into products. Ramona's history, the leering countdown-to-eighteen websites, the panic attacks before shows, the mother-manager who ran her daughter like a family business, lands with real anger and precision. Anyone who has followed the public unraveling and reclamation of a certain generation of pop stars will recognize the emotional truth in these pages. The novel also carries a heavier thread about past harm, and it handles that material with care, giving Ramona agency instead of treating her pain as set dressing.
This is where Extracurricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon reaches for more than a cute meet-cute, and mostly gets there.
What Works Beautifully
Ramona's voice. Sharp, self-aware, and quietly wrecking when she finally drops the armor.
Nick as a green flag done right. Warm without being dull, steady without being passive.
The supporting cast. Betty, the trainer turned best friend, and Audrey, the deadpan niece, both threaten to steal every scene they enter.
The epistolary breaks. Texts, emails, Post-it notes, and a wickedly funny fake tabloid article add texture and keep the pace moving.
Emotional intelligence. The story takes its heroine's recovery seriously without curdling into grimness.
Where It Stumbles
No book earns unanimous love, and this one has a few soft spots worth naming honestly:
The ethics stay comfortable. The professor-student risk is acknowledged but rarely allowed to generate real dread; the plot tends to shield the couple from consequences.
A crowded final stretch. The fame plot and the heavier justice storyline both arrive fairly late, stacking a lot of weight onto the back third and swinging the tone from playful to heavy in a hurry.
A one-note antagonist. Ramona's mother functions well as a villain but rarely gets more dimension than "controlling."
A tidy convenience or two. The friends-to-forever machinery occasionally smooths its own path a bit too neatly.
None of it sinks the book. It does explain why a reader might close the last page charmed rather than floored.
A Note on Content
In her author's note, Solomon flags emotional abuse by a parent, panic attacks, and references to past sexual assault (discussed rather than shown on the page). Worth knowing before you start, depending on your reading headspace.
The Final Word
Extracurricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon is a smart, sexy, and tender story that occasionally plays its riskiest cards a little safe. It works best as a portrait of a woman rebuilding a self, wrapped around a love story that gives her the room to do it. If you want a romance that is funny on the surface and thoughtful underneath, this one earns its spot on your list, even as it stops just short of the very top of Solomon's shelf.
July 22, 2026
Extracurricular is a forbidden romance between a former popstar turned college student and her psychology professor! Ramona has been famous as long as she can remember, she started off on a hit kids’ tv show which turned into an easy transition for her being a popstar. The story kicks off when she’s now 26 and exhausted, so she abruptly drops her retirement news and applies to college!
Nick is recently divorced, 36, and living in the guesthouse of his sister’s house. When not a professor at UCLA he helps out with his niece, whose idol is actually Ramona! He even took her to one of Romona’s concert a few years back…and now 4 years later, Ramona is the new student in his class. They quickly become friendly and get close after she reaches out to him one day when she’s having a mental breakdown, he comes to help and they start texting continuing their new connection, which leads to hooking up…
This was very fun, I’ve read I think most (if not all) of this author’s romance releases and while some have been hit and miss, this one was real fun and spicier too. I liked the forbidden element and how that played out with him being her new professor, we do get a bit of an age gap (she’s 26, he’s 36). We get some great caretaking scenes from him, she gets sick and he shows up with meds and even washes her hair for her. She also collects salt & pepper shakers and he makes sure they make a stop at an antique store while traveling to find her a new set. Their quick connection and friendship felt very natural and real, I’m glad I got to this one!
CW: her famous ex has a sexual assault claim which has her looking back at her past experiences with him as well
Nick is recently divorced, 36, and living in the guesthouse of his sister’s house. When not a professor at UCLA he helps out with his niece, whose idol is actually Ramona! He even took her to one of Romona’s concert a few years back…and now 4 years later, Ramona is the new student in his class. They quickly become friendly and get close after she reaches out to him one day when she’s having a mental breakdown, he comes to help and they start texting continuing their new connection, which leads to hooking up…
This was very fun, I’ve read I think most (if not all) of this author’s romance releases and while some have been hit and miss, this one was real fun and spicier too. I liked the forbidden element and how that played out with him being her new professor, we do get a bit of an age gap (she’s 26, he’s 36). We get some great caretaking scenes from him, she gets sick and he shows up with meds and even washes her hair for her. She also collects salt & pepper shakers and he makes sure they make a stop at an antique store while traveling to find her a new set. Their quick connection and friendship felt very natural and real, I’m glad I got to this one!
CW: her famous ex has a sexual assault claim which has her looking back at her past experiences with him as well
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!
July 20, 2026
Look, I love Rachel Lynn Solomon and I will sing her praises from the hills. Almost everything she has written to date has been fantastic, and I can see the version of this book that could have been fantastic too.
Unfortunately, that is not the version I read. In fact, Extracurricular is probably my least favorite RLS novel so far. Which is frustrating, because there are some parts of it that I deeply loved. I just couldn't get past the problematic aspects.
The book follows Ramona, a 26-year-old pop star who has been famous since appearing on a TV show as a teenager. As the story begins, she decides it is time to retire, put some distance between herself and her manager-parents, and enroll at UCLA while she figures out what she might want to do with the rest of her life.
There, she takes Psych 101 with Nick, a 36-year-old recent divorcee. He initially assumes that she is going to be disruptive while expecting to breeze through the class on her way to an inevitable career comeback, but she surprises him by being adamant that she really does want to change her life.
Things proceed mostly as normal until Ramona has a panic attack and realizes she has no one to call. Remembering Nick’s first-day-of-class offer to help his students outside the classroom, she calls him. He comes to get her, and a friendship develops.
Which is...well. Let’s just say it: it's deeply fucking problematic.
At first, Nick correctly recognizes that befriending one of his students is inappropriate, even though she is a fully grown adult rather than an 18-year-old. Unfortunately, this ethical insight has no discernible effect on his behavior. It does not stop him from spending time with Ramona in a social setting, developing feelings for her, and even sexting with her. At no point does either of them seem to consider that Ramona should just fucking withdraw from the class and take Psych 101 with someone else next semester.
What makes this especially frustrating is that, outside of the professor-student dynamic, I mostly enjoyed the romance! Much of their connection is built around Nick seeing Ramona for who she really is and treating her with kindness rather than as just a pop star. That is exactly my romance bread and butter. Give me all the couples who genuinely enjoy each other’s company and want to do nice things for each other. I will eat that up all day every day and usually hand out five stars along the way.
There is also strong mental health representation here, as Ramona struggles with anxiety and panic attacks related to an off-page sexual assault she experienced as a young performer. Her desire to reclaim her life and decide who she is outside of fame felt thoughtful and emotionally grounded. I usually love that kind of shit in my romance novels, and RLS handles it just as well here as she always does.
Still, the romance did sometimes feel just a little lopsided for me. I understood exactly what Ramona saw in Nick, but I was never completely sure what he saw in her beyond how much he liked her freckles. His feelings never seemed equally specific, and once the book reached the sex scenes, their connection began to feel much more generic than character-driven.
The larger problem is that this is set up as a forbidden romance without doing nearly enough with the actual forbiddenness. These two should have been resisting each other. They should have been yearning themselves half to death over someone they desperately want but cannot ethically have. Instead, they exchange a few token sentences about how they "really should not do this" and then proceed to do it anyway - usually, approximately three pages later.
Which means that, ultimately, the professor-student dynamic adds very little to the plot beyond making an otherwise lovely relationship much harder to root for. And then the ending:
So I am left with extremely mixed feelings. There is a genuinely lovely relationship buried in here, but I could never stop seeing the enormous academic red flag flapping above every romantic interaction.
I’m sorry, Rachel. I still love you. I just wish Ramona had dropped Psych 101 and Nick had come up with some slightly less cliche dirty talk.
Unfortunately, that is not the version I read. In fact, Extracurricular is probably my least favorite RLS novel so far. Which is frustrating, because there are some parts of it that I deeply loved. I just couldn't get past the problematic aspects.
The book follows Ramona, a 26-year-old pop star who has been famous since appearing on a TV show as a teenager. As the story begins, she decides it is time to retire, put some distance between herself and her manager-parents, and enroll at UCLA while she figures out what she might want to do with the rest of her life.
There, she takes Psych 101 with Nick, a 36-year-old recent divorcee. He initially assumes that she is going to be disruptive while expecting to breeze through the class on her way to an inevitable career comeback, but she surprises him by being adamant that she really does want to change her life.
Things proceed mostly as normal until Ramona has a panic attack and realizes she has no one to call. Remembering Nick’s first-day-of-class offer to help his students outside the classroom, she calls him. He comes to get her, and a friendship develops.
Which is...well. Let’s just say it: it's deeply fucking problematic.
At first, Nick correctly recognizes that befriending one of his students is inappropriate, even though she is a fully grown adult rather than an 18-year-old. Unfortunately, this ethical insight has no discernible effect on his behavior. It does not stop him from spending time with Ramona in a social setting, developing feelings for her, and even sexting with her. At no point does either of them seem to consider that Ramona should just fucking withdraw from the class and take Psych 101 with someone else next semester.
What makes this especially frustrating is that, outside of the professor-student dynamic, I mostly enjoyed the romance! Much of their connection is built around Nick seeing Ramona for who she really is and treating her with kindness rather than as just a pop star. That is exactly my romance bread and butter. Give me all the couples who genuinely enjoy each other’s company and want to do nice things for each other. I will eat that up all day every day and usually hand out five stars along the way.
There is also strong mental health representation here, as Ramona struggles with anxiety and panic attacks related to an off-page sexual assault she experienced as a young performer. Her desire to reclaim her life and decide who she is outside of fame felt thoughtful and emotionally grounded. I usually love that kind of shit in my romance novels, and RLS handles it just as well here as she always does.
Still, the romance did sometimes feel just a little lopsided for me. I understood exactly what Ramona saw in Nick, but I was never completely sure what he saw in her beyond how much he liked her freckles. His feelings never seemed equally specific, and once the book reached the sex scenes, their connection began to feel much more generic than character-driven.
The larger problem is that this is set up as a forbidden romance without doing nearly enough with the actual forbiddenness. These two should have been resisting each other. They should have been yearning themselves half to death over someone they desperately want but cannot ethically have. Instead, they exchange a few token sentences about how they "really should not do this" and then proceed to do it anyway - usually, approximately three pages later.
Which means that, ultimately, the professor-student dynamic adds very little to the plot beyond making an otherwise lovely relationship much harder to root for. And then the ending:
So I am left with extremely mixed feelings. There is a genuinely lovely relationship buried in here, but I could never stop seeing the enormous academic red flag flapping above every romantic interaction.
I’m sorry, Rachel. I still love you. I just wish Ramona had dropped Psych 101 and Nick had come up with some slightly less cliche dirty talk.
paused
July 26, 2026✧ pre-read:
can we talk about that cuteness cover?? i finally got my hands on this and i'm so excited 🤭
can we talk about that cuteness cover?? i finally got my hands on this and i'm so excited 🤭
August 3, 2026
4.75 stars!!
more detailed review to come but this was so good!
more detailed review to come but this was so good!
Did Not Finish
July 27, 2026dnf @ 40%
not only is this an extremely lustful and unethical relationship with a main character who is not in a good headspace the author name dropped kfc in the big year of 2026. funny how rachel lynn solomon cannot write romance with subtlety but managed to subtly squeeze in the fact that she is a supporter of that rogue state located in west asia.
the plot is non existent. the first time he sees his student his first thought is about how beautiful she is and then willingly gives her his number when she asks for it. my guy also whips out his dick and jerks off after she sends him a few corny texts. where is the forbidden-ness to this relationship? their moral conscience? what’s is the difference between them and two highschoolers?everything happens so fast i got a whiplash when i realised they were sexting not even half way into the book.
not only is this an extremely lustful and unethical relationship with a main character who is not in a good headspace the author name dropped kfc in the big year of 2026. funny how rachel lynn solomon cannot write romance with subtlety but managed to subtly squeeze in the fact that she is a supporter of that rogue state located in west asia.
the plot is non existent. the first time he sees his student his first thought is about how beautiful she is and then willingly gives her his number when she asks for it. my guy also whips out his dick and jerks off after she sends him a few corny texts. where is the forbidden-ness to this relationship? their moral conscience? what’s is the difference between them and two highschoolers?everything happens so fast i got a whiplash when i realised they were sexting not even half way into the book.
July 24, 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.
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 ✨
July 28, 2026
Over the years, Rachel Lynn Solomon has become an auto-read author for me, and I've read almost all of her books. I also enjoyed almost all of her books more than this one. It was such a flop for me.
The whole book just felt extremely lacklustre to me. The characters didn't have that much chemistry, especially because their attraction came out of nowhere. Ramona is barely Nick's student and after a very random and hard to believe chain of events, they're suddenly texting, and even sexting, all the time. The build-up just didn't make any sense.
Because this felt so sudden, I had a hard time believing Nick was taking his position as a professor seriously. The optics and ethics of a professor dating a student were mentioned at times, when the author needed some tension, but they were dropped all too quickly every time. For someone who wants tenure, I just don't buy that he would be risking his job security that easily - before him and Ramona had even built a real connection.
In general, I felt like the characters lacked growth. I've seen a lot of reviews praising the book for Ramona's character growth, but I personally just really have to disagree. I can recognize that she took some steps throughout the book, but overall, I felt like she was in much of the same mindset by the end of the book.
This made Nick and Ramona's relationship feel very unbalanced, because it all just felt like Nick taking care of Ramona.
The whole book just felt extremely lacklustre to me. The characters didn't have that much chemistry, especially because their attraction came out of nowhere. Ramona is barely Nick's student and after a very random and hard to believe chain of events, they're suddenly texting, and even sexting, all the time. The build-up just didn't make any sense.
Because this felt so sudden, I had a hard time believing Nick was taking his position as a professor seriously. The optics and ethics of a professor dating a student were mentioned at times, when the author needed some tension, but they were dropped all too quickly every time. For someone who wants tenure, I just don't buy that he would be risking his job security that easily - before him and Ramona had even built a real connection.
In general, I felt like the characters lacked growth. I've seen a lot of reviews praising the book for Ramona's character growth, but I personally just really have to disagree. I can recognize that she took some steps throughout the book, but overall, I felt like she was in much of the same mindset by the end of the book.
This made Nick and Ramona's relationship feel very unbalanced, because it all just felt like Nick taking care of Ramona.
July 17, 2026
A hot psychology professor with one slutty gold hoop earring + a pop star finally living life by her own terms + both starting a new chapter in their lives + healing together + an undeniable chemistry and emotional connection 🩷 yes, thank you!
Ramona & Nick stole my heart 🥹💗
I couldn’t stop reading. Eager to know more, to catch every flirty moment, every talk they had where they opened up their heart, and everything in between. I had so much fun reading this. Truly such a pleasure to witness their connection grow deeper and stronger.
Talk about chemistry. Fuck. ❤️🔥
Full review to come. I have lots more to highlight.
“Just like you imagined?”
“Better. So much better. You knew exactly what you were doing showing up in that skirt.”
“Did it work?”
This girl may very well be the death of him.
Doesn’t sound like a terrible way to die.
Ramona & Nick stole my heart 🥹💗
I couldn’t stop reading. Eager to know more, to catch every flirty moment, every talk they had where they opened up their heart, and everything in between. I had so much fun reading this. Truly such a pleasure to witness their connection grow deeper and stronger.
Talk about chemistry. Fuck. ❤️🔥
Full review to come. I have lots more to highlight.
“Just like you imagined?”
“Better. So much better. You knew exactly what you were doing showing up in that skirt.”
“Did it work?”
This girl may very well be the death of him.
Doesn’t sound like a terrible way to die.
July 19, 2026
4.5⭐️
Despite me having two of Rachel’s books on my shelf, this is the first I actually read and I absolutely devoured this story!
I’m not a big fan of age gap trope and student z professor is usually a no go for me, but I had a feeling I won’t mind these tropes here and I was right!
Despite 3rd person narration (which I’m also not a fan of), this type of narration worked well for this story and at times I even forgot it’s not 1st POV.
All the music industry bits made me furious as they were painstakingly true, but I think it was all were well written. Check the TW as there is a theme that might be very triggering, but it was more of a “always in the background’s recurring theme, not the on-page main part of the plot. It just got heavy at times but otherwise the book as a whole wasn’t heavy.
I liked how both characters (as well as all secondary ones) were written. It shows how good the writing is - you could grasp the essence and characterization of all the characters very fast and even if they popped up just for a moment.
At the end the age gap did not bother me at all. It was mentioned a couple of times but it was a bit like Ramona felt older than she was and Nick felt younger, so their age gap didn’t *feel* like 10 years.
Each of them had depth and I absolutely LOVED how their relation developed. Their first hookup (almost hookup?) was quite fast in the plot and it was very cliche BUT then they didn’t follow the “very cliche student x professor” storyline and that’s why I devoured this book so quickly and I’m rating it so high.
Rachel wrote in acknowledgments that this book is “a book about healing and safety and quiet tenderness” and that exactly sumps up how this book felt to me.
I have 43 highlights - the number also shows how much I loved this book. Big yes for me and now I’m ever more excited to read Rachel’s books I already have on my physical shelf!
Oh and I forgot to mention the dedication! It stole my heart immediately 😭
“For anyone who’s been told they should be quieter about the things they love— be even louder.”
Big thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for NetGalley ARC.
Despite me having two of Rachel’s books on my shelf, this is the first I actually read and I absolutely devoured this story!
I’m not a big fan of age gap trope and student z professor is usually a no go for me, but I had a feeling I won’t mind these tropes here and I was right!
Despite 3rd person narration (which I’m also not a fan of), this type of narration worked well for this story and at times I even forgot it’s not 1st POV.
All the music industry bits made me furious as they were painstakingly true, but I think it was all were well written. Check the TW as there is a theme that might be very triggering, but it was more of a “always in the background’s recurring theme, not the on-page main part of the plot. It just got heavy at times but otherwise the book as a whole wasn’t heavy.
I liked how both characters (as well as all secondary ones) were written. It shows how good the writing is - you could grasp the essence and characterization of all the characters very fast and even if they popped up just for a moment.
At the end the age gap did not bother me at all. It was mentioned a couple of times but it was a bit like Ramona felt older than she was and Nick felt younger, so their age gap didn’t *feel* like 10 years.
Each of them had depth and I absolutely LOVED how their relation developed. Their first hookup (almost hookup?) was quite fast in the plot and it was very cliche BUT then they didn’t follow the “very cliche student x professor” storyline and that’s why I devoured this book so quickly and I’m rating it so high.
Rachel wrote in acknowledgments that this book is “a book about healing and safety and quiet tenderness” and that exactly sumps up how this book felt to me.
I have 43 highlights - the number also shows how much I loved this book. Big yes for me and now I’m ever more excited to read Rachel’s books I already have on my physical shelf!
Oh and I forgot to mention the dedication! It stole my heart immediately 😭
“For anyone who’s been told they should be quieter about the things they love— be even louder.”
Big thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for NetGalley ARC.
July 15, 2026
So I’ll be honest, I’ve read one other book by Rachel Lynn Solomon and I…did not love it. But I wanted to give her another chance, PLUS I’m in love with this gorgeous cover!!
I’m happy to say that I definitely enjoyed this book more! While it was moderately spicy, it also had a lot of depth and tender moments. I really, really liked both Nick and Ramona (something that is surprisingly rare for me—to like both the MMC and FMC), and found their journey to being together very sweet!
There’s just something that draws me in about a romance with an age gap (I know that’s probably an unpopular opinion) AND an academic setting. The professor x student trope can get dicey for me with the ages of those involved, but I’m happy to report that Ramona goes to college as a 20-something adult, which made the age gap pretty inconsequential, for me, anyway.
I’ve read a few romances involving celebrities dating “normal” people, but I loved how this one was handled with the press and people on the outside having eyes on the relationship.
There are some tough topics touched upon in here (read the trigger warnings), and both characters have baggage, but their care and concern for each other is apparent early on. Also, this book contains one of my favorite micro tropes: he washes her hair 😍 Like I said, sweet and tender sum this book up well.
Okay sliiiiight spoiler (I don’t consider it a spoiler, but some do) here, so skip this section if you want to avoid it: I was thrilled that this book had no third act breakup! It’s always so refreshing when characters communicate and this is avoided.
A flirty and cute romance that’s worth the read!
I’m happy to say that I definitely enjoyed this book more! While it was moderately spicy, it also had a lot of depth and tender moments. I really, really liked both Nick and Ramona (something that is surprisingly rare for me—to like both the MMC and FMC), and found their journey to being together very sweet!
There’s just something that draws me in about a romance with an age gap (I know that’s probably an unpopular opinion) AND an academic setting. The professor x student trope can get dicey for me with the ages of those involved, but I’m happy to report that Ramona goes to college as a 20-something adult, which made the age gap pretty inconsequential, for me, anyway.
I’ve read a few romances involving celebrities dating “normal” people, but I loved how this one was handled with the press and people on the outside having eyes on the relationship.
There are some tough topics touched upon in here (read the trigger warnings), and both characters have baggage, but their care and concern for each other is apparent early on. Also, this book contains one of my favorite micro tropes: he washes her hair 😍 Like I said, sweet and tender sum this book up well.
Okay sliiiiight spoiler (I don’t consider it a spoiler, but some do) here, so skip this section if you want to avoid it: I was thrilled that this book had no third act breakup! It’s always so refreshing when characters communicate and this is avoided.
A flirty and cute romance that’s worth the read!
August 2, 2026
Podczas całej lektury czułam że nie ma żadnej fabuły poza romantycznymi/erotycznymi scenami pomiędzy bohaterami xd jakby nic innego się nie liczyło ZWŁASZCZA bohaterowie poboczni.
Główne postacie były po prostu na siebie napalone 24/7 z jakiegoś powodu bo nie doszło do mnie z jakiego ponieważ ich 'uczucia' pojawiły się z niczego, tak o zaczęli sextować (kurde nie wiem czy jest polskie określenie na sexting???) no i tak to szło dalej a to co się działo w tle jakoś nie bardzo wpływało na moje odczucia w związku z tą pozycją, wszystko poza Ramoną i profesorem było jakby zamglone. Przy końcówce coś tam się zadziało ale to było 10% tekstu więc no po prostu wiało nudą.
Główne postacie były po prostu na siebie napalone 24/7 z jakiegoś powodu bo nie doszło do mnie z jakiego ponieważ ich 'uczucia' pojawiły się z niczego, tak o zaczęli sextować (kurde nie wiem czy jest polskie określenie na sexting???) no i tak to szło dalej a to co się działo w tle jakoś nie bardzo wpływało na moje odczucia w związku z tą pozycją, wszystko poza Ramoną i profesorem było jakby zamglone. Przy końcówce coś tam się zadziało ale to było 10% tekstu więc no po prostu wiało nudą.
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.
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