Hallie’s Rules for a Recovering Romantic

by Jessica Lewis

Perfect for fans of Erin Baldwin and Elise Bryant, this sapphic rom-com—a companion novel to Nav’s Foolproof Guide to Falling in Love—stars a girl determined to reinvent herself, in life and in love.

Hallie loves romance, but it doesn’t seem to love her back. Her six-time broken heart can attest to that.
So when Hallie has the chance to attend a prestigious academic summer camp, she sees an opportunity not just to better herself, but to reinvent herself. Into a new Hallie who will succeed where the old one failed—in school, friends, and especially love.
First, a fresh start—which means no romance, all summer. If Hallie’s fortitude is immediately tested by Julia, her gorgeous camp roommate with an uncrackable icy shell, then all the better! Reinvention is never easy!
Yet as Hallie and Julia get closer, Hallie’s heart is in more danger than ever. With the prospect of real love on the line, can Hallie trust that New Hallie won’t make the mistakes that she did? Or is Julia looking for someone else—the unfiltered, unaltered, real Hallie?

Wish You Weren’t Here meets I Think I Love You in this sweet, summer rom-com, where plans go wonderfully astray, the best rules are broken ones, and love might actually be just around the corner.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Lesbian, LGBT, Contemporary, Queer, Audiobook

Audible Audio

First published July 7, 2026

About the author

Jessica Lewis is a Black author who writes in many eclectic genres. She’s written everything from southern gothic horror to wacky magical detectives to fluffy rom-coms. When she’s not procrastinating on writing by writing something else, she enjoys experimenting with recipes and playing cozy games. She lives with her way-funnier-than-her grandmother in Alabama.

Reviews

[gracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who loved the first book in the series, I was so excited to read this one and I wasn't too disappointed. I liked both characters well enough, I liked the story being told too but I unfortunately was more excited by the Nav cameos (she's literally my baby:((() sprinkled throughout.

This was your basic YA novel with typical character arcs. I did find it funny that every side character was a different label under the queer umbrella sksksjsjs but hey, the straights are cheesy everytime we should be allowed to be cheesy also especially since cringe culture is almost never acceptable for black teens, girls especially.

I truly did enjoy this, literally perfect for summer reading. And now I'll be rereading Nav's foolproof guide because I miss her sm. Thank you Harlequin audio for the alc in exchange for an honest review

[zara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

except from the silly and brief 5 minutes third-act breakup that annoyed me greatly, this was basically ya romance perfection. it's been a while since i've read a proper, well written chemistry and romance that builds up over time in a very realistic and beautiful way, and it made me realize how much the romance market out there lacks this and hinges too much on tropes and instant shift from non romantic to romantic feelings. it tackles a lot of subplots but it works here, and i'm so happy about it

[Misha · Rating 5 out of 5]

(rounded up from 4.5)

This was delightful. I love stories about young people growing and learning life lessons and finding love along the way. In this case, this is for Hallie and Julia through Smart Kid Camp, where they are competing with everyone for scholarship money and accolades. I enjoyed that all the characters grow and change and have enough going on, even for the support characters, that it makes them feel like real people on their own journeys, as well as Hallie's complicated feelings of not being perfect. I appreciate that while these are technically romance stories, they focus on one person's growth and struggles in their personal life while keeping the actual romance aspect in the background, but with low angst. A fun series, and I hope Sarah's story is next.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes; this in no way influences my review.

I’ve loved Jessica Lewis’s books since her debut, Bad Witch Burning, and each new release just further cements how much I love her books and stories. After Nav’s book last year, I knew I needed to and could not wait to get my hands on Hallie’s book, and this was so good!!

Hallie feels like she’s a failure and not good enough, especially after a few of her exes have treated her poorly or denigrated her, plus the pressure from her parents to be The Best in all things and shaming her for not doing better the first time she took SAT. But this summer she’s determined to change and be better, starting by swearing off romance and planning to be the best at Carnegie Camp for Young Scholars.

It was so amusing seeing Hallie develop small crushes on everyone initially, but then as she settles in and makes friends, things start feeling a lot smoother. But things with her cabinmate, Julia, aren’t as easy to move past because the more she sees and gets to know her, the deeper her feelings grow until Hallie is playing a constant tug-of-war inside herself because she really likes Julia, but she wants to change and that’s change means no romance.

This was such an excellent YA and I really loved the ways Gia’s mom, Ms Flores who is the sponsor for this year’s camp, is trying to get the kids to realize they don’t have to study to the exclusion of all else and pushing them to learn new skills, especially with the life skills she brings into the curriculum. I also loved how she was there to listen and help each of the campers, and how we see so many different types of growth among the characters.

I spent so much of the book wanting to hug Hallie super tight because it hurt to see how she believed she needed to earn the chocolate bar and criticizing herself for not getting and being “better.” There is so much emotional stuff happening, but I love the friendships and the way Hallie and the others are able to be kids and learn how to back off on some of the pressure.

This was just so sweet and perfect and a delight of a book. I loved Hallie and Julia becoming closer and the ways Julia respected Hallie’s rules, but also kept trying to get her to see that she didn’t need to change and all the things Hallie saw as flaws weren’t always bad traits. I love seeing Nav and Gia, and seeing more of Nav’w dynamic with Hallie and just how close their friendship is. There’s really just so many good elements, and I cannot wait to see what we’ll get next from Jessica Lewis.

[Montes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opposites attracts and grumpy/sunshine at its finest. I, just like Hallie, immediately fell in love with Julia. I like the growth portrayed throughout the story, of Julia opening up more and providing Hallie with the security and respect for her boundaries that her previous partners hadn’t and Hallie understanding that she didn’t have to change herself to achieve her goals and become the person she wanted to be. Hallie is just a young, yearning lover girl. I loved that she also slowly became Julia’s support during camp and with everything that happened to them, it felt like they went through a whole lifetime as friends before getting together.

Ms. Flores was the absolute best. What a mom, camp counselor and all around wonderful human being. She was willing to give Julia a home despite not knowing her for long. She was trying so hard to teach them a lesson about life disguised as a competition for a scholarship and these brainiacs were just not getting it. I appreciated that the camp not only valued the importance of normal school subjects but also focused on helping them to become actual functioning adults and develop relationships along the way

When I passed the 75% mark and they hadn’t even gotten together, I thought we had escaped the third act breakup but the angst came almost at the end for a few pages.

Please, I’ll continue to say this everywhere and anywhere. Angel Pean is a wonderful narrator. Hire her for every audiobook ever and I’ll buy them all.

Thank you to Jessica Lewis, HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC.

[Oli R · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable sapphic YA romance about Hallie. A bit of an overachiever, Hallie has decided to focus on finding herself by following her new life rules, one of which includes no dating. Her goals are clear and camp is the perfect way to get the fresh start that she needs. But camp programming changes unexpectedly and becomes more competitive and stressful than she hoped it would be. And she's rooming with a girl she can't quite seem to figure out but the competition brings them together and Hallie is faced with the reality that she has a crush on Julia.

A fun cozy summer YA read, I loved this book. Both girls were likeable but realistic and we saw them grow individually and together throughout the course of the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ALC!

[Papillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this novel. All my thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is more a story of personal growth, acceptance, and finding one’s voice than it is a YA romance. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It was very delightful. I won’t lie, it took me a while to truly feel invested in the story. But once I did, I didn’t want to stop reading. I enjoyed both main characters a lot. It was just very sweet and wholesome.

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot. This novel was a great example of how YA books (maybe I'm wrong, I'm just assuming this is YA) can be for everyone. The premise and “moral of the story” is relatively standard fare for YA stories but I think it was still something that plenty of adults struggle with and could benefit from hearing a few more times. This was a good novel, the pacing was well done and nothing was overly cliché even though it was straightforwardly exactly what I expected. I would recommend. I'm glad I randomly found this in my library.

Highlights:
-This was just a lot of fun.
-Summer camp vibes. I never got to go to any serious summercamp like this, and I always wish that I had. I have heard friends have such great stories, and memories. I'm a sucker for summer camp stories (done well). If you are similar then this is for you!
-Grumpy to lovers should be a more standard trope
-This novel blended fun and lighthearted moments with serious elements very well.
-I love the idea of a Life Skills course to teach practical things……and also the idea of watching top academics struggle with changing a tire.
-There were so many different elements of interpersonal relationships on display, and I liked the corresponding messaging and lessons therein.
-Dog!
-Communication!

Nitpicks:
-This doesn’t affect my rating, but COME ON! Friday the 13th didn’t have Jason as the villain, it was his mother. He didn’t come around until the second one. The protagonist is a horror fan and its her favorite movie and yet you got this detail wrong? Lmao.
-A few plotpoints were somewhat dropped. Not terrible, but it felt disconnected to have them describe Chekov’s Gun in such detail and then never have it mentioned again (referring to the conflict with that other roommate, and other details)

[jayden abel · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Possible Spoilers*

I’d liken Hallie’s Rules for a Recovering Romantic to a decent DCOM. The characters are a little annoying but still likeable, and the plot fixes itself almost too perfectly. I was kind of bored by the competitive scholastic summer camp, but prizes with point systems just aren’t for me. I didn’t like how everyone was introduced either with their queerness or ethnicity. Showing diversity is great, but not when a person’s minority status is their first defining feature. Also, using terms like “mankind” and “...known to man” is outdated and sexist.

I think I like Hallie. She has a big heart, and just wants to be liked (both by herself and other people). I thought it interesting how a lot of her hobbies originate from different exes. She likes Kpop because of one, and is introduced to horror movies because of another. In an attempt to reinvent herself, Hallie tries to un-like her interests, except for acing the SATs. She later figures out that toxic people don’t get to claim credit for your happiness.

I found her insecurity a bit annoying. We all have our perceived weaknesses, but she spends the entire book seething and choking back jealousy for her friend. Said friend was apparently the dictionary definition of “mommy issues cause attachment issues” until she fell for her girlfriend. Hallie envies that a perfect love life didn’t get conjured up for her. Instead she’s the victim of one too many broken hearts. Because of her jealousy she’s passive aggressive and a bit selfish. I guess being happy but unhappy for your best friend’s successes doesn't quite compute to me.

I loved Hallie’s girlfriend, Julia. Julia is cold and standoffish due to emotionally abusive parents. However, once she trusts somebody, no one will go up to bat faster than her. I liked that even when she had a crush on Hallie, she didn’t act on it right away, out of respect for her teammate’s “no romance” rule.

The idea of Julia and Hallie together is complicated for me. Hallie constantly laments how hard and fast she falls for people. Julia is no different. She sees a pretty girl, and is enamoured with her broodiness. It turns out that Julia isn’t a jerk, but it could have easily been another mishap. The author was trying to show that cycles can be broken, but to me it read like falling for the same potential red flags.

I love the two as friends though. When Julia’s parents manipulate her to come home (they don’t want an intellectually focused daughter), Hallie drops everything, and risks getting in trouble, to help her move out. Later, I couldn’t excuse Hallie’s jealousy, however Julia validates where the emotions are coming from, and helps her see past the blindfold of toxic exes. I respect that. When a competitive campmate discredits Hallie and Julia’s effort, the two confront the person, and keep focusing on trying their best. They pay attention to what brings the other joy, and that’s lovely.

Everything works out in the end, hurray! Julia moves in with caring people, the mean competitive person apologizes, and Hallie’s mom realizes that projecting unattainable dreams onto her daughter isn’t cool. Hallie doesn’t win first place, but the camp's millionaire sponsor awards her twenty grand anyway. If you’re interested in a competitive summer camp romance, with a lovable guard dog, and reasonably cute banter, this is a great “don’t think, just vibe” book.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Amanda Lovette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great continuation after Nav’s story and a perfect read for summer. Having read the first book, I loved the interactions between Hallie and Nav and seeing their friendship continue to change and grow with time. While much of the story is a very typical YA summer story arc, I did find that this story had more likeable characters, great humor, and a lot of emotion that was handled quite nicely. The queer cabin was a nice touch, but it would have been nice to get to know them a little bit more than what we were given. The whole setting of the camp, the activities, and goal of winning a scholarship all tied in really well and made you feel like you were right there along with the characters. Both Hallie and Julia were very compatible and I enjoyed seeing them both grow throughout the story.

Everything about the camp to me was very interesting. The whole idea of bringing smart kids together for a summer to not only compete for a scholarship but do so in an environment that allowed them to have fun and challenge themselves in ways they didn't expect. I think every high school and camp for teenagers should allow kids to explore different subjects, hobbies, and especially life skills. So seeing how Julia struggled with certain skills and Hallie struggling with hers, it was a great opportunity for them to learn from each other and grow closer, which is exactly what happened. I loved seeing them root for each other and get happy when the other did something well, but also how they were able to console and support one another when something didn't go their way. I did, however, think the whole rule thing with Hallie was dumb and way overdone to the point that it became just plain annoying and too repetitive.

Ms. Flores was probably my favorite character though. I just loved how all over the place she was for a millionaire, seeing how much she cared about each and every camper, and how genuine her reactions and emotions were, especially regarding the whole head incident and telling off Julia’s parents. She was just such a delight, full of humor and sarcasm, and then able to turn around and give such good advice about literally any subject that came up. And of course, cant forget about security failed Walter! Loved every interaction with him and how he had a personality just like one of the campers. Also loved having Gia and Nav still involved in the story too. I think having the camp last for a majority of the summer was a good choice because it allowed enough time for Julia and Hallie to get to know each other and for the romance to be believable. Even though it would have been nice to get a few chapters at the end with them setting into life outside of camp. Especially because the pining and Hallie’s internal fight against romance dragged out for so long, it felt more like a friendship novel than a romance.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters and setting was great, the balance between humor and emotion was well written, I just wish the romance hadn’t been dragged out for so long and that Hallie wasn’t so annoying by the end.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books with lessons to learn are so important, and this one? It truly hit me in the heart. This story teaches how to love yourself for who you are, that you are enough, that everyone has imperfections and that’s okay, that you don’t need to change yourself for others.
Self Love. In my opinion self love is such an important lesson, because if we don’t love ourself how can we love anybody else? Trusting that you are enough is so important and something I make sure everyone around me knows, but I do majorly struggle to practice what I preach, so this book did catch me in my feelings.
Hallie is a beautiful character inside and out. She’s like a vacuum, she sucks out information from everyone she’s ever known, and retains it. She knows a little on astrology, she likes horror movies, she knows how to change a tire, how to play basketball and please ask her about bonsai trees. But Hallie has learned all of this from her exes, aka her failed relationships, these are their interests and not Hallie’s. So when she gets to spend her summer at a prestigious camp to study for her SAT resit, she decides to also use the time at camp reinventing herself, no romance, no horror movies, no impulsivity, no jungkook. Of course this goes extremely well and Hallie definitely does not have a huge crush on her roommate Julia. Definitely not.
Julia has her walls up, she has no interest in making friends at camp, she is here to win, get herself a new laptop and ace the SATs. Julia also is extremely bad at waking up in time every morning, extremely bad at life skills, but basically Mozart when it comes to music. Hallie wants to be ‘best friends’ with Julia, to break her icy exterior, to help her wake up on time in the morning, to help her learn how to boil an egg, and then maybe Julia could help Hallie with music! It’s a solid plan. They can help each other!
People who love Smash Or Pass by Birdie Schae will love this book. Carnegie Camp is an academic focused camp but also mainly known for its crazy parties, this year however, everything changes. Actively sponsored by Ms Flores, the camp now runs on a schedule of life skills classes and sat prep classes, with pop up sessions and smores. There is a SOLID No Participation Trophies rule and a point system. Camp just became competitive. Julia is competitive. Julia has to win. Hallie has to win. They can help each other with their weaknesses. Working as a team will benefit both of them. They definitely aren’t friends though, that’s against who Julia is, so just two people who hang out and help each other, and definitely not in love either, because that’s against Hallie’s rules. This is so going to work out. This story is BRILLIANT. Room mates, to team mates, to friends, to lovers, it’s perfect, it’s beautiful.

[Andrea (looseleftlesbian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I always preface any YA review with the fact that I typically don’t read YA or it is at least not my first choice. I am 31, so it is hard to relate sometimes to teens. I really enjoyed this though! Hallie was easy to like and I enjoyed getting to read her inner thoughts. I think a lot of people can relate to her being afraid of losing her best friend who is in a relationship. While I can’t relate with her having so many exes, it’s easy to relate to her in other ways.

This may sound weird, but I was glad that some homophobia and transphobia was included. It’s Alabama and as someone from Indiana, another conservative state, I can attest to people still thinking that way. I feel like a lot of people who live in more liberal areas forget that just because we have, marriage equality, job protection, etc, means that our community doesn’t experience hate and judgement anymore. It can be easy to forget that there are still many people who have such hateful beliefs.

I saw someone review this and comment on the use of exclamation points. While I believe a few would be okay, especially because Hallie is young, I did agree that it was excessive. It didn’t really take away from the story at all but I could see where it could really irk some readers.

I like that the camp was six weeks. It gave time for the buildup of Hallie and Julia’s relationship. Their friendship before was adorable and I loved that we got to see them get to know each other and fall for each other while being oblivious to the other person’s feelings.

This is a great coming of age story with romance sprinkled in. It touched on a lot of good subjects, like parental pressure. 4 stars!

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

After string of failed relationships, Hallie's last breakup hit her hard enough to tank her SATs. Now she's heading off to summer camp for a retake, and she's determined to reinvent herself. New Hallie doesn't watch horror movies, doesn't listen to Kpop, and is completely focused on her studies - and that means absolutely no romance!

If you're looking for a sweet, slow-burn sapphic romance full of good feels and laughs, Hallie's Rules for a Recovering Romantic should be next on your reading list. This is grumpy/sunshine done right: unlike so many romances where the trope reads as a selling point grafted onto the story, here it feels organic and earned. Hallie is cute as hell, the kind of person who always sees the best in everyone and gets genuinely stressed out at the thought of not helping someone in need, yet struggles to voice her own opinions out of fear of rocking the boat. I found her deeply relatable and very easy to root for. Julia, meanwhile, is cautious and slow to warm up to others, but her guardedness feels entirely justified - and discovering the quiet loyalty and steadfast support beneath her prickly exterior is deeply satisfying. They're absolutely adorable together, and watching their romance slowly blossom as they push each other to face their own challenges makes for a genuinely heartwarming read. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing an ARC.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one and had a great time listening.

I did not follow the rules and did not read the first book before I read this one but you can bet that I will be going back to read Nav and Gia's story.

I really liked Hallie and I really liked Julia. I liked the secondary character especially all of the adults at the camp were some of my favorite characters

There were parts of this where I thought it had to be almost over but then I would look and I still had hours left to listen. So on that note I do think this could have been edited a little bit or maybe I should have just turned the speed up on my audiobook past my 2x but I really liked it.

I think that the length did eventually come to play where Hallie had to learn all of these lessons but I do think it could have happened sooner.

All in all though a really solid queer ya book with diverse characters of both race and queer identities which is always a pleasant surprise to see non-binary, trans, and aroace characters in a gay or sapphic book.

Hallie is bi and Julia is lesbian. There is also nonbinary, trans femme, and aroace queer rep amongst secondary characters.

[Eros Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I’m literally walking on air because she smiled at me.”

If you are looking for a young adult sapphic romance:

-over achiever FMC
-serial romantic FMC
-grumpy/sunshine
-academic summer camp
-queer characters
-lighthearted and relatable
-found family
-navigating life & personal growth
-cabin mates to lovers
-complex family dynamics
-around 350 pages

I smiled a lot throughout this read.
It was spot on for how teenage love tends to feel.
I felt like I was watching a teen show. The writing style was enjoyable & the plot had a slow burn but, it was much to love as the story unfolded.

The dynamic between Hallie & Julia was realistic. One character who is a lover girl and the other is standoffish. It was cute to see the ways that both MCs opened up to one another.

This was adorably entertaining.
It reminded me of The Parent Trap with how vivid the camp activities and competitive natured the kids were.

This is a book that I wish that I had growing up and one that I would buy for my classroom library.

[Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this!

it took me a minute to get into the story, but once I did, it was absolutely wonderful.

I adore Hallie and her big heart, and her big personality. She is smart, she is funny, and she is kind.

I loved the premise of this one, too. An academic camp is unique, and it was so great to see so many different kids all in the 'smart people' camp.

I just loved this one a lot.


Content warnings: mentions of toxic exes, references to toxic parents, alcohol.


Rep: Hallie (MC) is Black, cis, and bisexual. Julia (LI) is Black, cis and sapphic (no label used, but lesbian was used as an insult). Side queer and BIPOC characters.

[Jacqueleen Hale-Warsinske · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to read an early copy of Jessica Lewis’ second rom-com, Hallie’s Rules for a Recovering Romantic, and I’m STILL floating from it. I loved Nav and Hallie’s dynamic in the first book, and Hallie’s stand-alone story holds up with just as much sweetness. This story dove a lot deeper into the hardship of queer love in unwelcoming spaces, and reminded me why finding your people and not jumping to conclusions is so important. This was a book I wish I had when I was 16.

And I know you’re all wondering, so let me put your worry to rest: the dog in this book is another very, very good boy ❤️

[Shannon (That's So Poe) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet summer camp romance! Really adored the grumpy-sunshine dynamic and the slow way they fell for each other. I also loved the balance between the budding romance and the personal growth in the story. Just what I want in a YA romance!

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a die-hard fan of Jessica Lewis, I knew I was going to like this. However, romance is generally not a genre I particularly gravitate to, so I wasn’t sure I would love it. Reader, I ADORED this book.

Hallie is such a sweet, thoughtful character, even with her anxiety and flaws. She’s infinitely relatable and reads EXACTLY as I would expect a YA protagonist to think and behave. I regularly caught myself going “omg HALLIE” and then remembering that she’s just a kid making dumb smart-kid decisions. She must be protected (sometimes from herself) at all costs!!

Julia is the perfect black cat to Hallie’s golden retriever. She’s hard on the outside to protect her soft-hearted center.

Our supporting cast is solid, but Ms. Flores steals the show. I was suspicious of her at first, but I’m so glad to see that she truly is a wise, aware leader and a great role model. I want to be her when I grow up.

I think this book did a great job building up the feelings between Hallie and Julia, where many YA romances feel very insta-love. Sure, Hallie likes Julia right off the bat, but mostly because she’s pretty and mysterious - that’s like Teenagers 101. Also, she has the hots for, like, EVERYONE right off the bat! Her feelings for Julia felt very natural, and I liked the way they evolved throughout the story.

As I said, I’m already a fan of this author, though I’ve mostly read Jessica’s horror novels. It’s so fascinating and truly impressive to see how well she adapts between genres. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Thank you to Jessica Lewis, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book so that I may leave an honest review.

[Teenage Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessica Lewis gives us a novel of a summer camp romance, where one side — maybe both — is against the romance part. For Hallie, she sees her ease of falling in love as a fault, and thus is working on Hallie version 2.0. No longer is she going to fall head over heels in relationships, trying to be the perfect girlfriend to whatever boy or girl she is with. Hallie is going to be smart, academic, and make her parents proud. This leads her to a scholarship summer camp, which puts Hallie in contact with Julia, an ice queen who has the ability to steal Hallie’s breath away.
Even though I knew this was a romance, I truly thought Lewis might not actually go there with Hallie and Julia, as this is the slowest of slow burns. Hallie is afraid to admit her feelings, and Julia is afraid to admit any emotions at all. Together, they form not only an unlikely friendship, but something even crazier to believe in — a romance.
I love Hallie with my whole heart. She is such a try-hard character, both with her friendships and romantic relationships, even when those people did not deserve her. Lewis spends a large portion of this novel having Hallie reflect on what she thinks is wrong with her, and why Hallie 2.0 would be better. This is such a relatable feeling, and now being older, something I can recognize as untrue. I love how Lewis pushes Hallie to realize that as well.
Julia, our ice queen, did take some thawing out for me to fully enjoy. I think Lewis wrote her as a perfectly complex character, and although I did not initially understand why Hallie was so enamored with her, Julia quickly grew on me. Her past trauma and home life reveal made her feel more human, rather than just cold and distant.
Their friendship, and how it grew from that initial icy stage, was great to watch, although I did feel it was drawn out. At times, it felt like Lewis was intentionally stretching the romance to give Hallie the illusion that she was not falling back into her old habits of falling too fast. From noticing how “hot” everyone was at the start of camp to actively holding herself back, Hallie was clearly trying to change. While this was realistic for her character growth, it also made the overall plot feel very slow. Some drama is woven throughout the novel, both with Hallie’s friendships back home and Julia’s difficult home life, but the extremely slow progression of their relationship made parts of the story feel like they lingered longer than necessary.

[Ashley Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Jessica Lewis and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hallie’s Rules for a Recovering Romantic is a charming, heartfelt coming-of-age story that perfectly captures the messiness of friendship, first love, and learning to be comfortable in your own skin. Hallie arrives at the Carnegie Young Scholars Program hoping for a fresh start after years of chasing romance and feeling disappointed. Instead, she finds an unforgettable summer filled with new friendships, personal challenges, and a fierce competition that pushes everyone outside their comfort zones. From the moment Hallie teams up with her distant roommate Julia to help each other improve their rankings, I was completely invested in their journey.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was the cast of characters. Hallie’s friendships with the other campers felt genuine and supportive, while her growing relationship with Julia developed at a natural pace that made every interaction feel meaningful. I especially loved Wallace, the campus guard Rottweiler, who stole every scene he appeared in. The camp setting was also wonderfully immersive, filled with scavenger hunts, life-skills competitions, and plenty of teenage chaos. Jessica Lewis does an excellent job balancing humor and lighter moments with deeper themes surrounding self-worth, identity, and the pressure we put on ourselves to become “better” versions of who we are.

What truly made this book stand out for me was Hallie’s emotional journey. Her desire to constantly improve herself so she could avoid getting hurt felt incredibly relatable, and I found myself connecting with her struggles more than I expected. Watching Hallie slowly realize that she doesn’t need to reinvent herself in order to deserve love and friendship was both touching and satisfying. The romance was absolutely adorable, the friendships were heartfelt, and the ending left me smiling. Hallie’s Rules for a Recovering Romantic is a warm, uplifting YA contemporary filled with romance, summer camp adventures, and plenty of teen angst. I loved every minute of it!

[The Nightwatch Desk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before leaving for summer camp, Hallie Griffin decides that it's time to start over. After six failed relationships in two years, she's giving up on love. No more boyfriends, girlfriends, or basketball to distract from her SAT prep.

The catch is that she meets Julia, one of her cabin-mates. Suddenly, Hallie's plans are being tempted in ways that she didn't expect.

✨Young Adult Fiction
✏️Coming of Age
✨Sapphic Rom-Com
✏️Roommates to Lovers
✨Academic Summer Camp
✏️Opposites Attract

'Hallie's Rules' is a coming-of-age story set in a summer camp for young scholars. It's told from Hallie's perspective in first person. This story explores parental pressure, personal identity, collaboration, and giving love another chance.

Hallie has a lot of insecurities, partially from so many heartbreaks. Her only goal for the summer is to reflect on her life and focus on her studies. It doesn't help that her mother is extremely intense about school, which causes a lot of inner turmoil. For most of this book, I felt saddened by the complicated state of her mental health. She’s extremely hard on herself in a way that felt familiar for that age.

At first, Julia is intense, hostile, and quiet. She's very mysterious and doesn’t like to discuss her personal life. It takes some of Hallie's sunshine to win her over. Their romance is a small part of the story, and it starts with a hesitant friendship.

The setting is mostly hard work and no play (it's basically summer school). Part of Hallie's dilemma is choosing to work with others, even if it means that she doesn't win the camp scholarship. Some of her narration was a bit stiff and she tended to cycle through the same thoughts (repetitive). Her character development was also feeling drawn out by the end, but she does pull through.

This book explores a lot of heavy subject matters. Like homophobia, self-hatred, child neglect, messy relationships, and academic stress. The cover looks pretty and summery, so it was much more troubled than I expected. I really appreciate how hopeful it was in the end.

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I really enjoy Jessica Lewis's YA books, so I was excited to jump into this new romance. It did not disappoint!

Hallie loves love, and she's ended up with a lot of experiences with her own broken heart (relative to her young age) over the years. As a result, she has decided that love is over and studying is the answer. That's happening at a fancy summer camp full of wealthy peers. Hallie feels a bit alienated socioeconomically, and she begins to doubt her abilities quickly, too. Though this is definitely a YA romance with all of the expected bells and whistles, there's an added component of incredible pressure that is going to be incredibly relatable to a specific demographic. Hallie is really hard on herself - relentless in some ways - and it's to an unhealthy degree. She realistically notices this behavior more easily in others than in herself, and to me, this is where the book gets most relatable. So many young readers are going to find these characters' experiences realistic, and I liked that there were coping strategies and open conversations about this motif throughout the book (without anything ever feeling didactic).

Alongside the unexpected lessons and inclusions, the focal romance is really charming. I liked these characters and rooted for them, and in these gross modern times, I also worried for them. I enjoyed the way they connected, and this is a sweet, wholesome match.

This is another obvious winner from Jessica Lewis, and I'm looking forward to recommending this one to students (and to finally checking out _Nav's_, which I learned I missed when starting this book)!

*Special thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins US, and Harlequin Audio for this arc and alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Walter Underwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took so long to get going. It took a long tine to get some backstory for Hallie and even longer for Julia, so all the angst was sort of free-floating. I kept waiting for the rules to show up and they did after awhile. On the plus side, it wasn't a simple list where each rule was challenged, which would be a common plot. It was more holistic about who Hallie wanted to be and how she would get there.

Maybe this would work better if I'd read the previous book, Nav's Foolproof Guide to Falling in Love, but books in a series do need to work as standalone.

On the plus side, first person narration is a risky choice and can easily go wrong. I've DNF'ed a few books because of super annoying, or worse, boring, first person narrators. Hallie is generally interacting and reacting, so it isn't nonstop Hallie talking to Hallie about Hallie.

One little nit, the dog Walter is a rottweiler and that small fuzzy floppy-eared dog on the cover ain't a rottweiler. Cover artists and editors need to pay more attention than that.

So three stars for the first half and four for the second half, but rounding down for those with short attention spans.

HarperCollins Children's Books was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via NetGalley for an honest review.

[Kelsie ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s for letting me read and review this book early. All thoughts are my own!!

I really enjoyed Nav’s Foolproof Guide to Falling in Love, so I was excited to read Hallie’s book next!! I really enjoyed that it was a different setting, being at a summer camp instead of during the school year!! It made for some really fun moments!

Hallie’s journey through self acceptance is probably the biggest part of this book. She’s planning to change everything about herself while at camp, but she learns that she doesn’t need to change herself to be accepted and loved by others. It was really sweet to watch her relationship with Julia and how Julia encouraged Hallie to just be herself and not worry too much about what others thought of her.

Julia opening up to Hallie was also very sweet! As a very closed off person myself, I related to her so hard. She guards herself so she doesn’t get hurt, but I loved watching Hallie encourage Julia to open up and be vulnerable with her trusted people.

It was really great seeing Nav, Gia, and Ms. Flores again! I always love seeing characters in later books after they’ve gotten their happily ever after, so I really enjoyed seeing Nav and Gia present in this book.

I also really loved the Queer Cabin they built with other campers. Community and friendship are big themes in this book, so it was really special to see a group of queer kids having a great time at summer camp.

I’m curious to see if there are any other books in this universe, but I would highly recommend!!

[Astrophel AKA Beeneedssleep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for an arc. All opinions are my own.

★ Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Romance
Are There Gay People in this?*: ✅

Very cute sapphic romance with a big emphasis on emotional healing

First of all, the narration was great. I have zero complaints! I also found the writing style to be super readable. Honestly, I just didn't have many strong feelings about this book. The characters are believable, the romance is interesting, I had to suspend my disbelief with a lot of the camp stuff, but that doesn't bother me. I do think my opinion of this suffered a bit due to the fact this book reminded me a lot of one of my favorite books (it's still a unique story, and that book isn't even published yet, so this is not a criticism against this book), and I think that book had some similar themes that were executed in a way that worked better for me.

Overall, this was a fun, nerdy, summer camp romp. It didn't end up being a huge standout to me, but it was still enjoyable enough that I could easily see myself recommending it to others.

* I count a book as including gay people if any of the main or secondary characters are implicitly or explicitly queer or trans. This does not necessarily mean the protagonist is queer or that there is a queer romance

[Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

Hallie's Rules for a Recovering Romantic follows Hallie, a teenager at an academic achievement summer camp who wants to reinvent herself and be solely academic minded but finds herself falling for her roommate.

I really enjoyed this book! Hallie’s point of view was very energetic and entertaining, almost too much so, but Julia’s quiet intensity was a perfect balance to her chaos. I thought the romance was super sweet and I really loved how slowly and believably it developed. I also liked seeing the camp activities and how both girls were able to grow and change throughout the book.

I did feel like Hallie was a bit too much “all or nothing” in her plans for Hallie 2.0 and that Cam was a very unlikable character for most of the book. But Hallie’s plans did fit her personality and the pressure she received from her family and I was very excited to see a non binary character in Cam, especially one whose pronouns and identity were woven seamlessly into the story.

Thank you again to HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this early.

4.5 stars rounded down to 4 stars.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Nav's Foolproof Guide to Falling in Love, so I was so excited to read the sequel. And it did NOT disappoint. Hallie was immediately lovable, and her desire to better herself and bi panic were so relatable. I also adored standoffish Julia from the start too (I get it, Julia, most people suck). I thought Hallie’s journey towards accepting herself, flaws and all, and Julia’s gradually coming out of her shell were both nicely done. Fair warning that the romance is a veeeeeerrrrrry slow burn, though the chemistry between Hallie and Nav was there from the get-go.

The queer cabin was also really fun. Really, the entire cast of characters (other than homophobic Michelle and Julia’s parents, who were meant to be awful) were awesome.

One of my favorite parts of the first book was the dog, so I was delighted when Walter the Rottweiler became Hallie’s running (and Cheeto) buddy. He is the goodest boy.

Nav and Gia make frequent appearances, so if you loved them in book 1, rest assured that you’ll have plenty of chances to see them being cute as ever in book 2.

This made me want to reread Nav's Foolproof Guide to Falling in Love, so I’m off to do just that!

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

[The Bookish Chimera - Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Sometimes it feels like my whole personnality comes from my exes.”

Just like Nav’ was, Hallie’s Rules for a Recovering Romantic is exactly the kind of book I wish I could have access to as a teen. It leaves the reader with a warm feeling —which doesn’t prevent complicated themes to be discussed, or the characters from facing different kinds of challenges, but always with the right balance.
Because if Hallie knows something, this is a challenge! The whole summer camp is a competition, and Hallie wants to win it, just as much as the competition she established with herself. Because Hallie is her worst enemy, she just doesn’t realize how. In the middle of everything, there is this cute romance, with a brilliant will-they-won’t-they as Hallie believes her eagerness for relationships is what made her who she is, erasing her true self. Oh, and there is a cute dog. Because it wouldn’t be a Jessica Lewis’s book without that.
The book is before anything else a book about balance and self acceptance, and I loved how close it hit home at times, especially when it came to her relationships with her parents (mother).

Thank you Harper Collins Children’s Books for the free access to the eARC on NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hallie's Rules for a Recovering Romantic was such a sweet, heartwarming YA romance. Hallie was an easy character to root for as she tried to reinvent herself after one heartbreak too many, and I loved watching her slowly realize that maybe the best version of herself was the one she was trying so hard to change.
The chemistry between Hallie and Julia developed at a really nice pace. Julia's reserved personality balanced Hallie's hopeless romantic energy so well, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship unfold naturally throughout the summer. Their romance felt genuine, and I found myself smiling through so many of their interactions.
Beyond the romance, I appreciated the book's message about self-acceptance, growth, and learning that you don't have to become someone else to be worthy of love. While the pacing slowed in a few spots, the emotional payoff made it worthwhile.
Overall, this was a charming, feel-good sapphic rom-com full of heart, lovable characters, and plenty of summer vibes. If you're looking for a cozy YA romance with meaningful character growth, this one is definitely worth picking up.