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Keeping Her: A YA Sweet Romance
My plan was simple.
Sneak into Hartwell Academy for a week. Join my friends on their class trip to Niagara Falls. Try not to get caught.
What my plan did not include was Jace McIntyre.
He’s the first person to figure out I don’t actually belong at Hartwell—and instead of exposing me, he offers to help keep my secret.
Which would be great… if it didn’t mean spending almost all my time with him.
But every laugh, every late-night conversation, every moment alone makes one thing painfully my feelings for him are here to stay.
And falling for a boy when I’m about to disappear from his life? That might be the worst plan I’ve ever had.
Keeping Her is a sweet & wholesome young adult romance. Get your copy today!
This is Mako and Elodie's book.
Sneak into Hartwell Academy for a week. Join my friends on their class trip to Niagara Falls. Try not to get caught.
What my plan did not include was Jace McIntyre.
He’s the first person to figure out I don’t actually belong at Hartwell—and instead of exposing me, he offers to help keep my secret.
Which would be great… if it didn’t mean spending almost all my time with him.
But every laugh, every late-night conversation, every moment alone makes one thing painfully my feelings for him are here to stay.
And falling for a boy when I’m about to disappear from his life? That might be the worst plan I’ve ever had.
Keeping Her is a sweet & wholesome young adult romance. Get your copy today!
This is Mako and Elodie's book.
- GenresRomance
362 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 20, 2026
94 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Clara Nielsen
22 books333 followersClara Nielsen writes sweet & swoony YA romances set in high school, all about shy girls and the boys who are head-over-heels for them. When she’s not busy writing, you’ll probably find her out on the lake, putting together the perfect playlist, or sipping on a chai latte while daydreaming about her next story.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 17, 2026
okay i’m not writing a review on every book in this series but i will say it is a 5 star series i can’t believe it’s over im so sad this one was my favorite and what was made this series 5 stars! all the books by them selves were amazing but the series together and the friend group and the setting and everything was just AMAZING! i miss them already ive never cried at a sweet romance book but im still crying about the ending of this one it was so bittersweet… anyways i am not okay that it’s over and i miss them already
April 14, 2026
Keeping her
My plan was simple: Sneak into Hartwell Academy for a week. Join my friends on their class trip to Niagara Falls. Try not to get caught. What my plan did not include was Jace McIntyre. He’s the first person to figure out I don’t actually belong at Hartwell—and instead of exposing me, he offers to help keep my secret. Which would be great… if it didn’t mean spending almost all my time with him. But every laugh, every late-night conversation, every moment alone makes one thing painfully clear: my feelings for him are here to stay. And falling for a boy when I’m about to disappear from his life? That might be the worst plan I’ve ever had.
Het volgende deel in de serie! Ik heb altijd blij als er boeken uitkomen van Clara Nielsen. Ze heeft zo'n fijne schrijfstijl en leuke boeken. Totaal spicy vrij en heerlijke verhalen. Ook dit deel was weer geweldig! De vriendschap die ze allemaal hebben is geweldig, je wilt allemaal zo'n groep. Ik vond het nu ook leuk dat er iemand van een andere school in het verhaal meedeed. De niagra falls trip was een perfect verhaal om zonder dar iemand het weet een kijkje te nemen in de school van een ander. Hun trip was ook zo leuk beschreven, doe mij ook zo'n trip met waterpark. En hoe krijg je studenten stil, laat ze een baby ontmoeten was een prachtig moment en maakte het verhaal helemaal af!
The next story in the series! I am always happy when books by Clara Nielsen come out. She has such a lovely writing style and fun books. Totally spicy-free and delightful stories. This part was amazing again! The friendship they all share is wonderful; you all want a group like that. I also liked that someone from another school joined the story this time. The Niagara Falls trip was a perfect story for taking a peek inside someone else's school without anyone knowing. Their trip was described so nicely too; I’d love a trip with a water park like that. And how do you get students to be quiet? Letting them meet a baby was a beautiful moment and completed the story perfectly!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ sterren
#lezenisontspanning #neverstopreading #spreadthebooklove #reading #bookstagramreadsapril
My plan was simple: Sneak into Hartwell Academy for a week. Join my friends on their class trip to Niagara Falls. Try not to get caught. What my plan did not include was Jace McIntyre. He’s the first person to figure out I don’t actually belong at Hartwell—and instead of exposing me, he offers to help keep my secret. Which would be great… if it didn’t mean spending almost all my time with him. But every laugh, every late-night conversation, every moment alone makes one thing painfully clear: my feelings for him are here to stay. And falling for a boy when I’m about to disappear from his life? That might be the worst plan I’ve ever had.
Het volgende deel in de serie! Ik heb altijd blij als er boeken uitkomen van Clara Nielsen. Ze heeft zo'n fijne schrijfstijl en leuke boeken. Totaal spicy vrij en heerlijke verhalen. Ook dit deel was weer geweldig! De vriendschap die ze allemaal hebben is geweldig, je wilt allemaal zo'n groep. Ik vond het nu ook leuk dat er iemand van een andere school in het verhaal meedeed. De niagra falls trip was een perfect verhaal om zonder dar iemand het weet een kijkje te nemen in de school van een ander. Hun trip was ook zo leuk beschreven, doe mij ook zo'n trip met waterpark. En hoe krijg je studenten stil, laat ze een baby ontmoeten was een prachtig moment en maakte het verhaal helemaal af!
The next story in the series! I am always happy when books by Clara Nielsen come out. She has such a lovely writing style and fun books. Totally spicy-free and delightful stories. This part was amazing again! The friendship they all share is wonderful; you all want a group like that. I also liked that someone from another school joined the story this time. The Niagara Falls trip was a perfect story for taking a peek inside someone else's school without anyone knowing. Their trip was described so nicely too; I’d love a trip with a water park like that. And how do you get students to be quiet? Letting them meet a baby was a beautiful moment and completed the story perfectly!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ sterren
#lezenisontspanning #neverstopreading #spreadthebooklove #reading #bookstagramreadsapril
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2026
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
i absolutely love the hartwell academy series, poppy and bear, crossy and saylor, lilah and tino, they were all so adorable and such fun reads, not 5 stars but almost. but this story? this one was just perfection, i honestly had so much fun with it. i love series with friend groups and every book is about a different couple it’s PERFECTION. mako, well he is just the definition of a MAN, he cared so deeply about elodie even before he CARED about her in a romantic way. i love the trope of one of the main characters doesn’t do relationships and the other one brings them out of that and shows them that relationships and love can be beautiful. this made me laugh out loud, swoon and had some emotion. elodie, i absolutely loved her, she wasn’t stuck up or annoying, she was just her. i loved the waterpark setting, it was so fun and i loved seeing the childish side of elodie and how mako jist loved her being happy. the alice storyline was perfect, with elodies jealousy but calmness and mako realizing it was the wrong girl, so cute! and this being the end of the series?? stop i kind of got emotional with crossy’s toast. this was the perfect end to the series and im so glad poppy and bear were made partners in that gym class 🥹🥹. i’ll
miss hartwell but it was so worth my time and i will definitely reread it at some point!
queue up “Enchanted” by Taylor Swift 🎶🎶🎶
“Please don't be in love with someone else, please don't have somebody waiting on you” 😞
i absolutely love the hartwell academy series, poppy and bear, crossy and saylor, lilah and tino, they were all so adorable and such fun reads, not 5 stars but almost. but this story? this one was just perfection, i honestly had so much fun with it. i love series with friend groups and every book is about a different couple it’s PERFECTION. mako, well he is just the definition of a MAN, he cared so deeply about elodie even before he CARED about her in a romantic way. i love the trope of one of the main characters doesn’t do relationships and the other one brings them out of that and shows them that relationships and love can be beautiful. this made me laugh out loud, swoon and had some emotion. elodie, i absolutely loved her, she wasn’t stuck up or annoying, she was just her. i loved the waterpark setting, it was so fun and i loved seeing the childish side of elodie and how mako jist loved her being happy. the alice storyline was perfect, with elodies jealousy but calmness and mako realizing it was the wrong girl, so cute! and this being the end of the series?? stop i kind of got emotional with crossy’s toast. this was the perfect end to the series and im so glad poppy and bear were made partners in that gym class 🥹🥹. i’ll
miss hartwell but it was so worth my time and i will definitely reread it at some point!
queue up “Enchanted” by Taylor Swift 🎶🎶🎶
“Please don't be in love with someone else, please don't have somebody waiting on you” 😞
April 6, 2026
ARC review let’s get into it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Clara does slow burn so well and this book is just more proof of that this made me want to read more of her books and I can’t wait to ( they’re on my list ) I’ve only read two of the books in the series and I can’t wait to dive into the other two and see where it started.
Mako and Elodie were perfect for each other and it was the perfect end to the series and a cute send off either into another series connected to this one or just an end for these 4 couples.
Tropes:
Forced Proximity
Strangers to Friends to Lovers
Rival Schools
Slow Burn
Quotes:
“You want a pinky promise”
“I want a pinky promise”
“I’m starting to think you’d be worth getting in trouble for”
“You should keep it, it’s looks better on you”
Thank you to BookSirens for the ARC
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Clara does slow burn so well and this book is just more proof of that this made me want to read more of her books and I can’t wait to ( they’re on my list ) I’ve only read two of the books in the series and I can’t wait to dive into the other two and see where it started.
Mako and Elodie were perfect for each other and it was the perfect end to the series and a cute send off either into another series connected to this one or just an end for these 4 couples.
Tropes:
Forced Proximity
Strangers to Friends to Lovers
Rival Schools
Slow Burn
Quotes:
“You want a pinky promise”
“I want a pinky promise”
“I’m starting to think you’d be worth getting in trouble for”
“You should keep it, it’s looks better on you”
Thank you to BookSirens for the ARC
April 16, 2026
What do you think will happen when you sneak into your friend’s school? Most definitely not fall in love with the hottest boy on campus!
Elodie always chases an adventure and thinks that trouble finds her. She decides to go visit her friend at school, but is not allowed to be on campus because her parents don’t know that she has left. Not to mention sneaking on a trip to Niagara Falls in a duffle bag. With the help of her friends, their boyfriends, and Mako (by the way does not want a relationship… or so he says), Elodie is in for an adventure of her life.
Now she just has to figure out how to not be heartbroken when she goes back to school away from Mako.
Will their adventure and connection be enough to continue their relationship?
I really enjoyed the story. I connected with The characters and wanting an escape/an adventure. I really enjoy Clara Neilson’s writing and have read most of her books.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Elodie always chases an adventure and thinks that trouble finds her. She decides to go visit her friend at school, but is not allowed to be on campus because her parents don’t know that she has left. Not to mention sneaking on a trip to Niagara Falls in a duffle bag. With the help of her friends, their boyfriends, and Mako (by the way does not want a relationship… or so he says), Elodie is in for an adventure of her life.
Now she just has to figure out how to not be heartbroken when she goes back to school away from Mako.
Will their adventure and connection be enough to continue their relationship?
I really enjoyed the story. I connected with The characters and wanting an escape/an adventure. I really enjoy Clara Neilson’s writing and have read most of her books.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 22, 2026
This final book was EVERYTHING. The humor? Perfect. The tension? Unmatched. And the ending... just felt so right. A truly perfect way to close a story that's given me so much.
Even though Tino & Lilah will always be my favorite couple, Mako & Elodie now have such a special place in my heart Their dynamic... it's just so beautiful.
One of my favorite things was seeing all the previous couples still happy, still in love, still growing together. I love getting those glimpses into their lives and how they each continue to explore love in their own way.
And that final moment with Coach... wow. It added such a nostalgic, emotional layer to everything. I'm not over it. Not even close.
This book has been the perfect ending to this series. I'm going to miss it so much.
Even though Tino & Lilah will always be my favorite couple, Mako & Elodie now have such a special place in my heart Their dynamic... it's just so beautiful.
One of my favorite things was seeing all the previous couples still happy, still in love, still growing together. I love getting those glimpses into their lives and how they each continue to explore love in their own way.
And that final moment with Coach... wow. It added such a nostalgic, emotional layer to everything. I'm not over it. Not even close.
This book has been the perfect ending to this series. I'm going to miss it so much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
March 31, 2026ARC REVIEW
Imagine this: sneaking into a fancy academy just to spend one week with your friends on a trip to Niagara Falls… and then getting caught by the one person who could ruin everything 👀
Enter Jace McIntyre.
He knows she doesn’t belong - and instead of exposing her, he helps keep her secret.
And yeah… you already know where this is going 😭
What starts as a risky plan turns into late-night conversations, stolen moments, and feelings that hit WAY too fast. And the worst part? She’s only there for a week.
Thanks @booksirens and @claranielsenbooks for the opportunity to be an advanced reader.
Imagine this: sneaking into a fancy academy just to spend one week with your friends on a trip to Niagara Falls… and then getting caught by the one person who could ruin everything 👀
Enter Jace McIntyre.
He knows she doesn’t belong - and instead of exposing her, he helps keep her secret.
And yeah… you already know where this is going 😭
What starts as a risky plan turns into late-night conversations, stolen moments, and feelings that hit WAY too fast. And the worst part? She’s only there for a week.
Thanks @booksirens and @claranielsenbooks for the opportunity to be an advanced reader.
March 23, 2026
Amazon recommended it to me, I read some of her previous books. I didn’t really remember them so this book was still fun but would have been better if I remembered who the other couples were.
Anyways, the story was different than other teen stories that I have read. It was interesting and a little bit unbelievable at times but still sweet. It was a quick read with no ridiculous breakups or bullying. It was a good palate cleanser that didn’t require too much thinking.
However they (Mako and Elodie) do “fall” for each other very quickly over like 3 days. So wouldn’t recommend that quick for other teen girls.
Content
Kisses only
Swimming park
Shared hotel room (nothing mentioned other than a couple kisses and tangled legs after sleeping)
Lying to join another school
Stalker
Anyways, the story was different than other teen stories that I have read. It was interesting and a little bit unbelievable at times but still sweet. It was a quick read with no ridiculous breakups or bullying. It was a good palate cleanser that didn’t require too much thinking.
However they (Mako and Elodie) do “fall” for each other very quickly over like 3 days. So wouldn’t recommend that quick for other teen girls.
Content
Kisses only
Swimming park
Shared hotel room (nothing mentioned other than a couple kisses and tangled legs after sleeping)
Lying to join another school
Stalker
March 27, 2026
Keeping Her is Book 4 in the Hartwell Academy Series by Clara Nielsen. I believe that this author knows how to write really fun rom/coms. Elodie wants to sneak with her friends to Niagara Falls in a class trip. Mako is being stalked by a Southmore, Alice. I felt that this story was fun and very funny. I believe that this is a wonderful story to spend some time reading, laughing and falling in love. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
March 24, 2026
didn’t even finish
I loved the plot line but it got so unbelievable that I stopped reading it. Also inappropriate. Girls and guys sleeping in the same room in a romantic relationship at this age or as forced together isn’t ok
I think Clara Nielsen needs better editors. Too many errors and things not lining up. But I will admit I am picky with the small details
I loved the plot line but it got so unbelievable that I stopped reading it. Also inappropriate. Girls and guys sleeping in the same room in a romantic relationship at this age or as forced together isn’t ok
I think Clara Nielsen needs better editors. Too many errors and things not lining up. But I will admit I am picky with the small details
March 21, 2026
Keeping Her
Perfect ending to the series that I’m not ready to say goodbye to yet. I loved this couple and the yearning. I loved the chase. I loved the HEA. The epilogue and flash forward was perfection.
Perfect ending to the series that I’m not ready to say goodbye to yet. I loved this couple and the yearning. I loved the chase. I loved the HEA. The epilogue and flash forward was perfection.
March 25, 2026
This book was the perfect one to end the series! The banter between Mako and Elodie was fun and I enjoyed seeing how each of the couples relationships progressed. I loved how everything came full circle in the end and I’m excited to possibly see some of the characters in future books.
March 30, 2026
This feels bittersweet, i loved hartwell and its students. I love everything Clara writes, and I’m a big fan of series that are interconnected and this was perfect. I think Elodie and Mako’s story was my favourite so far. I could feel the love blossom and it made my heart really happy.
April 16, 2026
It was an okay read. While the description said no knowledge of the previous books was required to enjoy this one, I still felt like I was missing out on things because of it. Therefore, while it was a fun story I did really enjoy, I am only giving it 3,5 stars overall.
March 25, 2026
I’ve read every single one of this authors books and this one did not disappoint. I can’t wait for a new book to come out!
April 1, 2026
love love love it!! thank you for the arc! 🫶🏼
April 5, 2026
honestly liked this one a lot, it was a very lighthearted change of pace and I liked the break it gave me from the real things of reality, you know.
March 26, 2026
👙☀️Pre-Read☀️👙
HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS WAS GETTING PUBLISHED? I LOVE THIS SERISE AND I CANT WAIT TO READ THIS!! March 20th can’t come any sooner
HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS WAS GETTING PUBLISHED? I LOVE THIS SERISE AND I CANT WAIT TO READ THIS!! March 20th can’t come any sooner
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews