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Personal Space Issues
Not yet published
Expected 23 Mar 27She’s an aspiring reporter and he’s a secret alien in this paperback original rivals-to-lovers romcom, perfect for fans of all the swoony parts of James Gunn’s Superman.For Laura Levy, her wacky hometown of Roswell, New Mexico is going to serve one get her the story that will get her out of town. Unfortunately, she has to beat the infuriating (and distractingly attractive) Joshua Dearfield for editor-in-chief at the school paper by writing a better article. Even if it's a story about alleged aliens. She's never believed in aliens, and there's no reason to believe this is love.
Joshua Dearfield is an alien. He's also in love with Laura Levy.
As Josh tries to stop Laura's investigation from getting too close to home, he discovers that touching her triggers his powers. One kiss could uncover all his secrets. And what does it matter? Laura Levy is never going to believe in him. Is she?
Tension, banter, and tropes galore!: Get swept away by the out-of-this-world connection that Josh and Laura share.Swoony dual first person Watch their love bloom in alternating chapters from Laura's and Josh's perspectives.Pranks, hijinks, and These rivals-to-lovers can't touch without triggering Josh's secret alien powers!
Joshua Dearfield is an alien. He's also in love with Laura Levy.
As Josh tries to stop Laura's investigation from getting too close to home, he discovers that touching her triggers his powers. One kiss could uncover all his secrets. And what does it matter? Laura Levy is never going to believe in him. Is she?
Tension, banter, and tropes galore!: Get swept away by the out-of-this-world connection that Josh and Laura share.Swoony dual first person Watch their love bloom in alternating chapters from Laura's and Josh's perspectives.Pranks, hijinks, and These rivals-to-lovers can't touch without triggering Josh's secret alien powers!
- GenresYoung Adult
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 23, 2027
About the author
Audrey Goldberg
1 book2 followersAudrey Goldberg writes contemporary and speculative romcoms and fantasy for children and for adults. She lives in a suburb of Washington, DC, and has been teaching with the enthusiasm of Valerie Frizzle, but for middle and high school English, since 2009. She has also written under the name Audrey Goldberg Ruoff.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 31, 2026
*received as an ARC from NetGalley*
Oh boy. This book put me into a massive reading slump. I was first drawn to it because it’s marketed for fans of the steamy scenes between Superman and Lois, but I didn’t realize it would be high school fan fiction and not even in the way that Smallville is. This book follows co-editors-in-chief, Laura and Joshua, as they poorly pretend to be rivals (Divine Rivals did it better) in the publication of their high school paper. I don’t mind their romance. Is it Clark and Lois worthy as someone who is NOT even a superhero person but LOVES that movie? No. Not even a little. There’s nowhere near the amount of intrigue to even draw a comparison.
I can recognize that this is a YA book and I am NOT the audience for that, but I’ve read YA books and there was an egregious amount of pop culture references. So much so that it felt like product placement. “Wow that was so hot it was like Minecraft lava chicken”. “Wow this is like stick season” but not actually at all. Every chapter title is a song which just feels like it’s the author trying to be relevant and appeal to a younger audience. It would work so much better if the song had literally ANYTHING to do with the chapter. Coincidentally and as a stretch it worked sometimes. But mostly it didn’t.
Don’t get me started on the science behind the DNA splicing. Because what do you mean he shares DNA with an inanimate rock?? It seems like he’s not an alien but a mutant so why ALL THE COMPARISONS to Superman? Why not one of the X-men? Every time I learned something new about how he was created, I was baffled further. Also the Noah’s arc from another planet took me out.
I’m also baffled at the secret hiding place for alien materials under a school with access points from an air force base AND a school where I’m sure no nosy kids will go investigating. Why connect them? Why not keep the top secret information AT the airforce base? Where the studies were done to begin with??
My last point of critique is that you can tell the author is a high school teacher. The entire book feels like a PSA. The entire sex talk section was actually insane. Any and all momentum was dropped as her dad sat her down in the last 50 pages when a climax of a different kind is supposed to be happening or at least resolving, to tell her in depth how to use protection. IN DEPTH. Like after school special. Like “and you know about STIs and how condoms don’t prevent those, right?” I felt like I, a 32-year-old mom, was getting a lecture. Also for her to entrust her conspiracy theorist father with Josh’s secret because “she trusts her dad” just felt like a PSA to trust your parent even if they seem like your op, idk. It was very jarring at times.
I liked the sibling relationship and the message that boys can yearn too, but there was never any high stakes. No one trying to find out his secret or even chasing him through the tunnels when he stole government secrets. They were in an unguarded military base TWICE with no repercussions. There needs to be some stakes and not just “does he like me or doesn’t he?” I know this is for high schoolers but believe it or not that’s not all they care about.
Oh boy. This book put me into a massive reading slump. I was first drawn to it because it’s marketed for fans of the steamy scenes between Superman and Lois, but I didn’t realize it would be high school fan fiction and not even in the way that Smallville is. This book follows co-editors-in-chief, Laura and Joshua, as they poorly pretend to be rivals (Divine Rivals did it better) in the publication of their high school paper. I don’t mind their romance. Is it Clark and Lois worthy as someone who is NOT even a superhero person but LOVES that movie? No. Not even a little. There’s nowhere near the amount of intrigue to even draw a comparison.
I can recognize that this is a YA book and I am NOT the audience for that, but I’ve read YA books and there was an egregious amount of pop culture references. So much so that it felt like product placement. “Wow that was so hot it was like Minecraft lava chicken”. “Wow this is like stick season” but not actually at all. Every chapter title is a song which just feels like it’s the author trying to be relevant and appeal to a younger audience. It would work so much better if the song had literally ANYTHING to do with the chapter. Coincidentally and as a stretch it worked sometimes. But mostly it didn’t.
Don’t get me started on the science behind the DNA splicing. Because what do you mean he shares DNA with an inanimate rock?? It seems like he’s not an alien but a mutant so why ALL THE COMPARISONS to Superman? Why not one of the X-men? Every time I learned something new about how he was created, I was baffled further. Also the Noah’s arc from another planet took me out.
I’m also baffled at the secret hiding place for alien materials under a school with access points from an air force base AND a school where I’m sure no nosy kids will go investigating. Why connect them? Why not keep the top secret information AT the airforce base? Where the studies were done to begin with??
My last point of critique is that you can tell the author is a high school teacher. The entire book feels like a PSA. The entire sex talk section was actually insane. Any and all momentum was dropped as her dad sat her down in the last 50 pages when a climax of a different kind is supposed to be happening or at least resolving, to tell her in depth how to use protection. IN DEPTH. Like after school special. Like “and you know about STIs and how condoms don’t prevent those, right?” I felt like I, a 32-year-old mom, was getting a lecture. Also for her to entrust her conspiracy theorist father with Josh’s secret because “she trusts her dad” just felt like a PSA to trust your parent even if they seem like your op, idk. It was very jarring at times.
I liked the sibling relationship and the message that boys can yearn too, but there was never any high stakes. No one trying to find out his secret or even chasing him through the tunnels when he stole government secrets. They were in an unguarded military base TWICE with no repercussions. There needs to be some stakes and not just “does he like me or doesn’t he?” I know this is for high schoolers but believe it or not that’s not all they care about.
Want to Read
July 3, 2026👽💚 Personal Space Issues 💚👽
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
✨ What to Expect
• Sci Fi Romance
• Rivals to Lovers
• Secret Alien MMC
• Dual POV
• Forced Proximity
• Small Town
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: March 23, 2027
Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
✨ What to Expect
• Sci Fi Romance
• Rivals to Lovers
• Secret Alien MMC
• Dual POV
• Forced Proximity
• Small Town
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: March 23, 2027
Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Read
July 17, 2026Dnf
August 6, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
Alright here we go
First off, I actually liked the last 60 ish pages! The plots came together and the romance actually was cute and worked well.
UNFORTUNATELY!
THATS LESS THAN A FOURTH OF THE BOOK
First off, this is so clearly just a high school AU Superman fanfic, it’s not even funny. Like at least once, both characters are described exactly how Clark and Lois look in Superman 2025.
It’s clearly written by an elder millennial who thinks they know what a teenager talks like. Numerous uses of ultra-modern slang (“choppelganger”??? Will people even know what that means in 5 years?) and what appears to be modern references but really end up showing off how out-of-touch the writer is (the main characters listen to “an old Noah Kahan album” which is quickly revealed to be the one with “Stick Season” on it. At the time that the book was written, that was the most recent Kahan album). Plus numerous variations on “don’t talk to me till I’ve had my coffee” and the male lead announcing that his favorite drink is seltzer water… yeah that’s not a young teen I fear.
I might just be new to the whole romcom thing (I am) but phrases like “disgustingly hot beaver” (describing the male lead’s habit of pencil chewing) and “adorable razor edges” (describing the female lead’s aggression towards the male lead) really put me off this whole book (I have “I’m going to end it all” a total of three times in my notes lol)
I literally have so many notes on inconsistent nonsense in this book but I don’t want to bore you so I’ll simply satisfy myself with dissecting the main characters
But first, the way the side adults are written is so weird. There’s hardly any women in here, all we have is “male lead’s mom” and “teacher”, that’s it, that’s all they get to do, and then the men are all either gross, sexist, and balding (I’m not joking, the author mentions that every time) or bad fathers who are either absent or completely shut off from their emotions. And I understand that yes, people do exist that are like this but it feels so straw man and stereotype. Again, I understand none of the adults are where our focus is but it feels so lazy and empty. Switch it up a little, c’mon.
Ok, now the leads.
Laura is so incredibly unlikable for most of this. She’s driven which is good, and has clear goals and ideals but she’s so driven that it leads her to constantly be an asshole to everyone around her. In the middle of the book, Laura pulls a prank that not only humiliates Josh, the male lead, on a spectacular level, but ruins the project that her best friend was excited and dedicated to. And what repercussions might she face, you ask? None! Even the teacher is like, well that was bad but you won’t face any consequences. Just apologize to Josh (which ends in them kissing! And no apologies or recompense for her bestie!) She’s constantly putting everyone around her down and belittling them because she’s the most serious-est reporter who’s ever reported. You’re in high school! She complains at one point that no one invites her to fun parties, like yeah! They probably all think you’ll tell the cops! Eventually she becomes helpful and understanding to the people she claims she cares about, but that’s only once the romance actually starts and I don’t know if that sits right with me. Romances should be about making people better, together, not like baseline nice person.
Josh, on the other hand, is so boring that it’s impossible to even care about his chapters. Even knowing that Laura was probably gonna complain about everyone around her in her chapters, at least she had a story and it was interesting and engaging. His was so damn bland, I couldn’t be bothered. It’s just brood brood brood, ache ache ache, yearn yearn yearn. He keeps talking about how, oh he’s so alien so not of this world, so impossible to reconcile with humanity, I was expecting some big revelation of being an alien, like THE BOOK WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE, but then he’s just 6 percent alien DNA. That’s it. That’s all. He’s spent all this time worrying about how different he is and how he can never be normal and blah blah blah and he’s barely any different! He’s like Spider-Man different, normal human, born on earth, with just some extra powers. That’s it. And why does he even care about the newspaper? We’re introduced to him getting a big scoop on Laura and in the last bit he proves to Laura that he’s always cared about the newspaper, not just because she was in it but literally nothing in the actual text shows that. It’s all tell no show which is the worst thing a book can do. His relationship with his dad is given a decent amount of time but it’s just there so he has another thing to torment himself about. I was expecting a resolution to that but no, once the main conflict is resolved, the dad smiles at Josh and that’s it. Why is he suddenly cool with his son? We may never know.
Ok that was a lot but this book just frustrated and bored me in equal measure. When I started actually watching romcoms, it took me a while to find really good ones that didn’t have obnoxious or morally questionable characters so it’ll probably just take a sec. I know there’s good ones out there, I just need to find them.
If there’s any recs drop them below
Alright here we go
First off, I actually liked the last 60 ish pages! The plots came together and the romance actually was cute and worked well.
UNFORTUNATELY!
THATS LESS THAN A FOURTH OF THE BOOK
First off, this is so clearly just a high school AU Superman fanfic, it’s not even funny. Like at least once, both characters are described exactly how Clark and Lois look in Superman 2025.
It’s clearly written by an elder millennial who thinks they know what a teenager talks like. Numerous uses of ultra-modern slang (“choppelganger”??? Will people even know what that means in 5 years?) and what appears to be modern references but really end up showing off how out-of-touch the writer is (the main characters listen to “an old Noah Kahan album” which is quickly revealed to be the one with “Stick Season” on it. At the time that the book was written, that was the most recent Kahan album). Plus numerous variations on “don’t talk to me till I’ve had my coffee” and the male lead announcing that his favorite drink is seltzer water… yeah that’s not a young teen I fear.
I might just be new to the whole romcom thing (I am) but phrases like “disgustingly hot beaver” (describing the male lead’s habit of pencil chewing) and “adorable razor edges” (describing the female lead’s aggression towards the male lead) really put me off this whole book (I have “I’m going to end it all” a total of three times in my notes lol)
I literally have so many notes on inconsistent nonsense in this book but I don’t want to bore you so I’ll simply satisfy myself with dissecting the main characters
But first, the way the side adults are written is so weird. There’s hardly any women in here, all we have is “male lead’s mom” and “teacher”, that’s it, that’s all they get to do, and then the men are all either gross, sexist, and balding (I’m not joking, the author mentions that every time) or bad fathers who are either absent or completely shut off from their emotions. And I understand that yes, people do exist that are like this but it feels so straw man and stereotype. Again, I understand none of the adults are where our focus is but it feels so lazy and empty. Switch it up a little, c’mon.
Ok, now the leads.
Laura is so incredibly unlikable for most of this. She’s driven which is good, and has clear goals and ideals but she’s so driven that it leads her to constantly be an asshole to everyone around her. In the middle of the book, Laura pulls a prank that not only humiliates Josh, the male lead, on a spectacular level, but ruins the project that her best friend was excited and dedicated to. And what repercussions might she face, you ask? None! Even the teacher is like, well that was bad but you won’t face any consequences. Just apologize to Josh (which ends in them kissing! And no apologies or recompense for her bestie!) She’s constantly putting everyone around her down and belittling them because she’s the most serious-est reporter who’s ever reported. You’re in high school! She complains at one point that no one invites her to fun parties, like yeah! They probably all think you’ll tell the cops! Eventually she becomes helpful and understanding to the people she claims she cares about, but that’s only once the romance actually starts and I don’t know if that sits right with me. Romances should be about making people better, together, not like baseline nice person.
Josh, on the other hand, is so boring that it’s impossible to even care about his chapters. Even knowing that Laura was probably gonna complain about everyone around her in her chapters, at least she had a story and it was interesting and engaging. His was so damn bland, I couldn’t be bothered. It’s just brood brood brood, ache ache ache, yearn yearn yearn. He keeps talking about how, oh he’s so alien so not of this world, so impossible to reconcile with humanity, I was expecting some big revelation of being an alien, like THE BOOK WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE, but then he’s just 6 percent alien DNA. That’s it. That’s all. He’s spent all this time worrying about how different he is and how he can never be normal and blah blah blah and he’s barely any different! He’s like Spider-Man different, normal human, born on earth, with just some extra powers. That’s it. And why does he even care about the newspaper? We’re introduced to him getting a big scoop on Laura and in the last bit he proves to Laura that he’s always cared about the newspaper, not just because she was in it but literally nothing in the actual text shows that. It’s all tell no show which is the worst thing a book can do. His relationship with his dad is given a decent amount of time but it’s just there so he has another thing to torment himself about. I was expecting a resolution to that but no, once the main conflict is resolved, the dad smiles at Josh and that’s it. Why is he suddenly cool with his son? We may never know.
Ok that was a lot but this book just frustrated and bored me in equal measure. When I started actually watching romcoms, it took me a while to find really good ones that didn’t have obnoxious or morally questionable characters so it’ll probably just take a sec. I know there’s good ones out there, I just need to find them.
If there’s any recs drop them below
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Laura is a senior in Roswell who is determined to be a reporter and make a name for herself as someone other than the daughter of the local conspiracy theorist. She hopes to be named Editor in Chief for her high school’s newspaper, but her biggest competition is her longtime rival Josh. In pursuit of an article about aliens and a government cover-up, Laura gets dangerously close to discovering Josh’s secret - he actually is part alien! Desperate to keep his family safe, Josh struggles between his desire to grow closer to Laura and his desire to throw her off the trail. But Laura is determined to get to the truth and break the story. Despite a history of hatred and pranks, the two grow closer, Josh’s powers grow stronger, and the truth comes to light.
What I liked:
- YA Paranormal Rom-Com! I laughed and smiled a lot in this one. It was cute and weird, and I loved it.
- Josh has totally been into her for years, and she’s never picked up on it. His being involved in journalism was not to one-up her but because he’s interested and wants to bond with her over it.
- New twist on aliens (he’s not an actual alien from space, he just has partial alien DNA). And...
- Reverse telepathy: He accidentally shares his memories with her whenever they touch. Which is bad (and funny!) for multiple reasons.
What I didn’t like:
- Sometimes it felt like getting whiplash, with how quickly Laura would go from eager to prank Josh and just being immature in general to being professional and determined to be a reporter. At one point, she changed Josh’s story and added the word “weenie” a bunch of times and then sent it in to be printed. That’s just not something a senior serious about journalism would do, no matter how much they wanted to mess with someone.
- [Spoiler, maybe?] I wished for a bit more resolution from Josh’s dad. He was so against the idea of Josh dating her, and then the next time he appears, he’s totally cool with them dating and going to Homecoming together… How is he suddenly okay with the daughter of the conspiracy theorist who was tracking down their secret now dating his son with said secrets? Does he know she knows? Did she sign an NDA? I needed some type of answer.
Overall opinion:
Paranormal rom-coms are my favorite sub-genre (if that’s even a real thing), so I loved this! I loved their dynamic and that he was totally into her first, and she had no idea. I liked Josh as a character more and thought his chapters were funnier. I admit that it had flaws, but it was still a fun 4-star read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC!
What I liked:
- YA Paranormal Rom-Com! I laughed and smiled a lot in this one. It was cute and weird, and I loved it.
- Josh has totally been into her for years, and she’s never picked up on it. His being involved in journalism was not to one-up her but because he’s interested and wants to bond with her over it.
- New twist on aliens (he’s not an actual alien from space, he just has partial alien DNA). And...
- Reverse telepathy: He accidentally shares his memories with her whenever they touch. Which is bad (and funny!) for multiple reasons.
What I didn’t like:
- Sometimes it felt like getting whiplash, with how quickly Laura would go from eager to prank Josh and just being immature in general to being professional and determined to be a reporter. At one point, she changed Josh’s story and added the word “weenie” a bunch of times and then sent it in to be printed. That’s just not something a senior serious about journalism would do, no matter how much they wanted to mess with someone.
- [Spoiler, maybe?] I wished for a bit more resolution from Josh’s dad. He was so against the idea of Josh dating her, and then the next time he appears, he’s totally cool with them dating and going to Homecoming together… How is he suddenly okay with the daughter of the conspiracy theorist who was tracking down their secret now dating his son with said secrets? Does he know she knows? Did she sign an NDA? I needed some type of answer.
Overall opinion:
Paranormal rom-coms are my favorite sub-genre (if that’s even a real thing), so I loved this! I loved their dynamic and that he was totally into her first, and she had no idea. I liked Josh as a character more and thought his chapters were funnier. I admit that it had flaws, but it was still a fun 4-star read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Personal Space Issues by Audrey Goldberg — ⭐⭐⭐.5, rounding up
spice rating: 🌶️ (glimpses and kisses; mentions of safe sex and sex ed)
Laura wants to be editor-in-chief of her high school paper and beat her rival Josh to the story of a lifetime—investigating aliens in Roswell. Josh is secretly part alien and crazy in love with her.
Kind of like if Clark from Smallville was an alien from Roswell instead of Krypton. Veers into full fanfic energy, but overall light, fun, and a joy to read.
highlights:
- 🧑🤝🧑 characters felt real, modern, and age-appropriate
- 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ and sex-positive in a way that didn't feel forced. queerness was written in a low-key that's the norm manner
- ✡️ Jewish representation without it being traumatic or the whole plot
- 👬 I loved Josh and Brody's relationship as brothers
- 💌 Josh is SO in love with Laura, all-consuming yearning but in a teenage boy way (not a dark romance obsessive way). to anyone who thinks that's unrealistic for a teen boy narrator, go read book 5 of Percy Jackson—Percy's whole narration is basically just thinking about kissing Annabeth at that point
tropes & microtropes:
- ⚡ rivals to lovers
- 📓 dual POV
- 👽 secret identity
- ✋ something happens when they touch
- 😈 prank war
- ✏️ lab partners + co-editors on the school paper
- 🧠 he can't control his powers around her
- 🔦 teenage reporters taking investigative work too seriously
- 🤐 keeping his secret from the person actively investigating it
- 🎧 chapter titles named after songs
complaints:
- 🛸 I didn't understand the main "danger" plot at all, and it felt rushed at the end
- 🧬 I wanted way more on the science/alien DNA side of things, and Josh's motivations are unclear—he has open conversations with his parents about being part alien but also secretly digs into his own background and Roswell history
thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC 🙏
spice rating: 🌶️ (glimpses and kisses; mentions of safe sex and sex ed)
Laura wants to be editor-in-chief of her high school paper and beat her rival Josh to the story of a lifetime—investigating aliens in Roswell. Josh is secretly part alien and crazy in love with her.
Kind of like if Clark from Smallville was an alien from Roswell instead of Krypton. Veers into full fanfic energy, but overall light, fun, and a joy to read.
highlights:
- 🧑🤝🧑 characters felt real, modern, and age-appropriate
- 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ and sex-positive in a way that didn't feel forced. queerness was written in a low-key that's the norm manner
- ✡️ Jewish representation without it being traumatic or the whole plot
- 👬 I loved Josh and Brody's relationship as brothers
- 💌 Josh is SO in love with Laura, all-consuming yearning but in a teenage boy way (not a dark romance obsessive way). to anyone who thinks that's unrealistic for a teen boy narrator, go read book 5 of Percy Jackson—Percy's whole narration is basically just thinking about kissing Annabeth at that point
tropes & microtropes:
- ⚡ rivals to lovers
- 📓 dual POV
- 👽 secret identity
- ✋ something happens when they touch
- 😈 prank war
- ✏️ lab partners + co-editors on the school paper
- 🧠 he can't control his powers around her
- 🔦 teenage reporters taking investigative work too seriously
- 🤐 keeping his secret from the person actively investigating it
- 🎧 chapter titles named after songs
complaints:
- 🛸 I didn't understand the main "danger" plot at all, and it felt rushed at the end
- 🧬 I wanted way more on the science/alien DNA side of things, and Josh's motivations are unclear—he has open conversations with his parents about being part alien but also secretly digs into his own background and Roswell history
thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC 🙏
July 4, 2026
*I received an advance copy from NetGalley for an honest review, and I appreciate the chance to read it early.
This charming YA novel reminded me of the CW series Roswell, New Mexico! The story centers on Laura and Josh in high school, navigating their rivals-to-lovers journey—both secretly harboring feelings for each other amidst space-related journalism mysteries. The author crafts a quirky story filled with themes of humanity, protecting loved ones, the blurry line between hate and love, and growing up—making mistakes and embracing authenticity. Laura's approach to journalism has Lois Lane vibes, understanding “that’s how the world works—facts and hard evidence.” However, I was confused about her deleting hard evidence footage without explanation, which is never addressed again. It would be more impactful if she showed Josh and deleted it, similar to the scene with scientific slides. I wished for more depth or drama in some scenes—perhaps involving the government or love rivals. Still, many readers will enjoy the numerous Easter eggs referencing Star Wars, Bridgerton, Star Trek, Superman/Lois Lane, and others.
Finally, I love a good acknowledgments page from an author. I believe many younger readers will find comfort in the message that "being too much" is okay and that you are enough. Overall, this is a delightful book aimed at older teens and high school students, specifically written to resonate with the experiences of adolescents and seniors.
This charming YA novel reminded me of the CW series Roswell, New Mexico! The story centers on Laura and Josh in high school, navigating their rivals-to-lovers journey—both secretly harboring feelings for each other amidst space-related journalism mysteries. The author crafts a quirky story filled with themes of humanity, protecting loved ones, the blurry line between hate and love, and growing up—making mistakes and embracing authenticity. Laura's approach to journalism has Lois Lane vibes, understanding “that’s how the world works—facts and hard evidence.” However, I was confused about her deleting hard evidence footage without explanation, which is never addressed again. It would be more impactful if she showed Josh and deleted it, similar to the scene with scientific slides. I wished for more depth or drama in some scenes—perhaps involving the government or love rivals. Still, many readers will enjoy the numerous Easter eggs referencing Star Wars, Bridgerton, Star Trek, Superman/Lois Lane, and others.
Finally, I love a good acknowledgments page from an author. I believe many younger readers will find comfort in the message that "being too much" is okay and that you are enough. Overall, this is a delightful book aimed at older teens and high school students, specifically written to resonate with the experiences of adolescents and seniors.
July 12, 2026
**thanks netgalley and harper collins for the advance copy of this book and the opportunity to review
I did not enjoy this book. There's only so many second chances I can give after repeatedly falling asleep and losing focus during reading. The redeeming factors were the sparse moments of tension between the two main characters. But those moments were few, and I felt like the story missed out on some longer scenes of just the two of them together.
There was no sense of urgency until about the 60% mark. I was, and still am, confused about what the driving force of the book might be. There was no single problem instead there were a multitude of smaller low stakes problems. I also found some plot points were introduced, but never resolved. These all added to my difficulty maintaining interest.
The dialogue felt awkward and the unnecessarily inserted Gen Z slang was jarring. But the dialogue was much preferable to the insufferable amount of introspective description. All of the characters' emotions and thoughts are told outright to the reader. There is no mystery to draw the reader's interest. The rule of balance with showing not telling was not applied in any meaningful way.
All in all, it reads like a pile of diary entries dropped into a book that has become much longer than it needs to be. There is potential, but it lies under a lot of cuts and editing.
I did not enjoy this book. There's only so many second chances I can give after repeatedly falling asleep and losing focus during reading. The redeeming factors were the sparse moments of tension between the two main characters. But those moments were few, and I felt like the story missed out on some longer scenes of just the two of them together.
There was no sense of urgency until about the 60% mark. I was, and still am, confused about what the driving force of the book might be. There was no single problem instead there were a multitude of smaller low stakes problems. I also found some plot points were introduced, but never resolved. These all added to my difficulty maintaining interest.
The dialogue felt awkward and the unnecessarily inserted Gen Z slang was jarring. But the dialogue was much preferable to the insufferable amount of introspective description. All of the characters' emotions and thoughts are told outright to the reader. There is no mystery to draw the reader's interest. The rule of balance with showing not telling was not applied in any meaningful way.
All in all, it reads like a pile of diary entries dropped into a book that has become much longer than it needs to be. There is potential, but it lies under a lot of cuts and editing.
July 8, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the early copy!!
I super enjoyed this book! The rivals-to-lovers romance was top notch and just what I think about when I hear rivals-to-lovers. The other twist is that it's an alien romance too!! I never thought I would see a daughter of a alien conspiracy podcaster x alien high schooler.
I can tell that the author is very into journalism and teaching (what I know from the acknowledgements). You can just tell that this author knows what she's talking about and is very passionate about it! There were multiple very important messages about our society today and also safe sex (LOL).
I did think the chapter headers could've been better adapted into the chapters themselves. Each chapter header had the name of a song (most of the time) and I would get confused when it didn't really mesh with the contents of that particular chapter. I'm a pop girlie too and was super excited to see these song titles as chapters, I just wish they were adapted better.
I still would recommend this book though! It is fast-paced, really funny, and has a great cast of characters.
I super enjoyed this book! The rivals-to-lovers romance was top notch and just what I think about when I hear rivals-to-lovers. The other twist is that it's an alien romance too!! I never thought I would see a daughter of a alien conspiracy podcaster x alien high schooler.
I can tell that the author is very into journalism and teaching (what I know from the acknowledgements). You can just tell that this author knows what she's talking about and is very passionate about it! There were multiple very important messages about our society today and also safe sex (LOL).
I did think the chapter headers could've been better adapted into the chapters themselves. Each chapter header had the name of a song (most of the time) and I would get confused when it didn't really mesh with the contents of that particular chapter. I'm a pop girlie too and was super excited to see these song titles as chapters, I just wish they were adapted better.
I still would recommend this book though! It is fast-paced, really funny, and has a great cast of characters.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a fun story to read. As a teen, I enjoyed the Roswell TV series back in the late 90s and early 2000s. This book had similar vibes to it so it wasn't surprising that I got a kick out of it. There's a little bit of everything here: the enemies-to-lovers banter and tension, a Scooby doo mystery involving a theater trapdoor, a podcast about aliens, and high school journalism at its finest.
There were a couple of things I thought could've been written better. The FMC's quick acceptance and understanding of the MMC's secret was a bit too easy given her ongoing dislike of him. Additionally, the ending also felt a bit rushed. Just because this is a YA book doesn't mean all conflicts should be quickly and neatly resolved.
All in all, this would be a highly entertaining book to read for teens and adults alike. The language and mannerisms are age appropriate complete with some bad words and minor sexual situations that aren't explicit or detailed. Id love to see a follow-on to this story to see what other adventures these characters get into.
Thanks to Netgalley, Harper Collins, and Audrey Goldberg for the ARC.
There were a couple of things I thought could've been written better. The FMC's quick acceptance and understanding of the MMC's secret was a bit too easy given her ongoing dislike of him. Additionally, the ending also felt a bit rushed. Just because this is a YA book doesn't mean all conflicts should be quickly and neatly resolved.
All in all, this would be a highly entertaining book to read for teens and adults alike. The language and mannerisms are age appropriate complete with some bad words and minor sexual situations that aren't explicit or detailed. Id love to see a follow-on to this story to see what other adventures these characters get into.
Thanks to Netgalley, Harper Collins, and Audrey Goldberg for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Laura is starting her senior year in high school. She is wanting the Editor in Chief position for the High School paper. Unfortunately, her nemesis, Joshua, is always one step ahead of her. He wants that spot, too.
Laura is good at what she does and she knows that something is up with Joshua. She makes it her mission to uncover the truth.
This is such a cute high school romance. I love the way aliens are portrayed, very X-Files meets Superman.
There are a couple of scenes where the main characters talk with their respected parents about sex. It was awesome. As a parent, having "the talk" is just as uncomfortable for us as it is for our kids. This story talks about it in a way that minimizes the awkwardness and embraces the truth and honesty. "If you're not mature enough to talk about sex, then you're not mature enough to be having sex."
Mood Readers: Lighthearted and meet cute. Perfect for a fun relaxing day to unwind. Spice level is one pepper. Cute romance for older teens.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
Laura is good at what she does and she knows that something is up with Joshua. She makes it her mission to uncover the truth.
This is such a cute high school romance. I love the way aliens are portrayed, very X-Files meets Superman.
There are a couple of scenes where the main characters talk with their respected parents about sex. It was awesome. As a parent, having "the talk" is just as uncomfortable for us as it is for our kids. This story talks about it in a way that minimizes the awkwardness and embraces the truth and honesty. "If you're not mature enough to talk about sex, then you're not mature enough to be having sex."
Mood Readers: Lighthearted and meet cute. Perfect for a fun relaxing day to unwind. Spice level is one pepper. Cute romance for older teens.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was not the reader for this book, which is a bummer because I think the concept is so so cute.
Editor-in-chief is supposed to be hyphenated and it wasn't. The entire book. I know this is an ARC and they claim it's not the final pass, but like. Also, this was written by an English teacher, so . . .
The characters, dialogue, and overall situations felt unrealistic in a surprising way, given that the author is a high school teacher. The writing style of telling more than it felt like giving examples or showing wasn't my favorite.
On the one hand, I love her author's note to kids about being too much, but also, it really solidified the feeling I got that there was an ~agenda~ behind the author writing this, rather than the author just loving the story and there happening to be an agenda or moral behind it. Again, not my favorite, but I'm not every reader.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this one. I wish I'd liked it better than I did!!
Editor-in-chief is supposed to be hyphenated and it wasn't. The entire book. I know this is an ARC and they claim it's not the final pass, but like. Also, this was written by an English teacher, so . . .
The characters, dialogue, and overall situations felt unrealistic in a surprising way, given that the author is a high school teacher. The writing style of telling more than it felt like giving examples or showing wasn't my favorite.
On the one hand, I love her author's note to kids about being too much, but also, it really solidified the feeling I got that there was an ~agenda~ behind the author writing this, rather than the author just loving the story and there happening to be an agenda or moral behind it. Again, not my favorite, but I'm not every reader.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this one. I wish I'd liked it better than I did!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was such a cute, quirky read. The Roswell setting and alien twist make it feel different from your typical rivals-to-lovers romance, and I loved how the mystery is mixed into the relationship.
Laura and Josh have a really fun dynamic. They’re competitive, constantly getting under each other’s skin, but there’s also an obvious attraction underneath all the arguing. Josh being secretly in love with her makes the whole thing even more entertaining.
I also liked that the story doesn’t take itself too seriously. It has that light, slightly ridiculous rom-com energy while still giving the characters enough depth to make you care about what happens.
Overall, it’s a fun mix of rivals-to-lovers, small-town weirdness, and paranormal romance. Definitely an easy, entertaining read when you want something cute with a little something extra.
Laura and Josh have a really fun dynamic. They’re competitive, constantly getting under each other’s skin, but there’s also an obvious attraction underneath all the arguing. Josh being secretly in love with her makes the whole thing even more entertaining.
I also liked that the story doesn’t take itself too seriously. It has that light, slightly ridiculous rom-com energy while still giving the characters enough depth to make you care about what happens.
Overall, it’s a fun mix of rivals-to-lovers, small-town weirdness, and paranormal romance. Definitely an easy, entertaining read when you want something cute with a little something extra.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Funny! This book was so fun and sweet and human. I kind of went into it blind so I didn’t know about the very obvious twist, but naturally, I figured it out. I really enjoyed the tension between the two characters and how hopelessly gone Josh was for Laura from the very beginning. Laura sort of reminds me of Never Have I Ever’s Devi Vishwakumar in her complicated relationship with family, habit of letting her temper get the best of her, but her big heart ultimately guiding her. I really enjoyed both of the characters’ perspectives and felt like the story had good pacing without feeling rushed. It’s a short and sweet read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Personal Space Issues is a fun YA about two rival high school journalism students that attend Roswell High. Yup, that Roswell. And yes, one of them is an alien! Which is why I had to read this book. I have a not-so-secret love of all things alien.
When Laura is assigned a story about alleged aliens, Josh, who is an actual alien, sets out to stop her from finding out the truth. And though Laura seems to hate Josh, he actually has a big old crush on Laura.
These two had fun banter and sweet moments. Cute and fun YA with a sci-fi twist. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for this ARC.
When Laura is assigned a story about alleged aliens, Josh, who is an actual alien, sets out to stop her from finding out the truth. And though Laura seems to hate Josh, he actually has a big old crush on Laura.
These two had fun banter and sweet moments. Cute and fun YA with a sci-fi twist. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Personal Space Issues was a fun read. I really liked how the book alternated between Josh and Laura's perspectives each chapter. Josh and Laura's constant bickering and pranks on each other make the story pretty funny. The way that both seemed to hate each other, but both have secret good thoughts about each other was entertaining. Since Josh had to hide being an alien, it seemed impossible for him to be around Laura because her father had a podcast about aliens. There's plenty of drama, action, and the book brilliantly captures the agonizing awkwardness of the teenage-parent dynamic.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to review this book.
I was very excited about this book. I like low stakes romance books sometimes but I had a very hard time staying with this. I kills me to say I did not finish this book because I know authors work very hard on their work.
This books just wasn’t it for me. I didn’t really connect with the main female character, although I can respect headstrong, determined young women. There just was something about the way she goes about things I didn’t care for.
I loved the premise this book could offer but not the execution.
I was very excited about this book. I like low stakes romance books sometimes but I had a very hard time staying with this. I kills me to say I did not finish this book because I know authors work very hard on their work.
This books just wasn’t it for me. I didn’t really connect with the main female character, although I can respect headstrong, determined young women. There just was something about the way she goes about things I didn’t care for.
I loved the premise this book could offer but not the execution.
August 12, 2026
3.5⭐️
(I received a complimentary advance copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
I definitely wouldn’t call this a middle grade book (it’s more YA), but I think it was cute! Some of the time jumps weren’t as obvious as I’d like, and the resolution wasn’t as creative or lengthy as I’d like. It wrapped up really easily with little pushback or fallout.
Not sure if I would ready again, but I did like the overall premise! Josh was a sweetie and I loved how protective he was of Laura.
(I received a complimentary advance copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
I definitely wouldn’t call this a middle grade book (it’s more YA), but I think it was cute! Some of the time jumps weren’t as obvious as I’d like, and the resolution wasn’t as creative or lengthy as I’d like. It wrapped up really easily with little pushback or fallout.
Not sure if I would ready again, but I did like the overall premise! Josh was a sweetie and I loved how protective he was of Laura.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC of Personal Space Issues by Audrey Goldberg.
This was a cute book. It a cute books for Teenagers and Young Adults.
I love the Syfy aspect, a cute rivals to lovers, romcom!
This was a cute book. It a cute books for Teenagers and Young Adults.
I love the Syfy aspect, a cute rivals to lovers, romcom!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is full of humor, fantasy and a tad bit of revenge. Remember Aliens could be hiding in plain sight.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It was a cute rival to enemies romance , and I love how each of the main characters was crushing on each other overtime they seen each other. Overall it's a good love story . Thank you netgalley for letting me read this story early .
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was cute! I don't think I would have picked this up if it weren't for the Jewish representation, but I'm glad I did. I love a book about a determined high school journalist, and Laura is definitely that. Some of her actions (particularly pranking Josh) felt weirdly uncharacteristic and I would have liked to understand Laura's personality and motivations a bit more. I loved Josh's character, though. Overall an enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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