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How to Be the Best Third Wheel
A clean teen romance comedy about figuring out where you belong when all the constants in your life begin to change.
It’s the last year of highschool, and everything has changed . . .
After spending summer vacation in the Philippines with family, Lara returns to school eager to catch up with her close knit group of girlfriends. But within minutes of reuniting with her friends, she learns that not one, not two, but all three of them are now in relationships that blossomed over the summer. And to make matters worse, Lara’s long time frenemy, James, won’t stop bugging her in class and eventually forces her into tutoring him everyday after school.
Surviving high school was never easy to begin with, but with occupied friends, a hectic Filipino family, and her annoying childhood enemy pestering her more than ever, Lara tries to juggle everything, while trying to figure out her own place in the chaos.
It’s the last year of highschool, and everything has changed . . .
After spending summer vacation in the Philippines with family, Lara returns to school eager to catch up with her close knit group of girlfriends. But within minutes of reuniting with her friends, she learns that not one, not two, but all three of them are now in relationships that blossomed over the summer. And to make matters worse, Lara’s long time frenemy, James, won’t stop bugging her in class and eventually forces her into tutoring him everyday after school.
Surviving high school was never easy to begin with, but with occupied friends, a hectic Filipino family, and her annoying childhood enemy pestering her more than ever, Lara tries to juggle everything, while trying to figure out her own place in the chaos.
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First published May 3, 2022
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December 24, 2021
2.75 stars ⭐️.
First of all the book has many hilarious moments and I loved both the friendship and familial bonds in this. This book is a cultural delight and written beautifully. Also the third wheel scenarios are spot on.
But..
There is a reason I stay away from YA romance, I have both a teenage brother and a sister at home so almost all the problems faced in the book is what I face in my everyday life at home. Having reached a certain age I now find it silly (sorry in advance to whichever teens who are going to read this.) it doesn’t help that we have significant age gap. So this book didn’t resonate with me that much.
Also I hate the trope heroine secretly in love with hero but he dates many girls and have fling etc. it also didn’t help that heroine witnesses him kissing two different OW’s. Technically it’s not cheating here as they were not dating at the time but both had feelings for each other and heroine was so hurt. I HATED THAT PART.
Do you know what I hated more? THE ENDING.
And no freaking epilogue! may be there will be a part two. But doubtful if I’ll be reading it or not.
Still I’d recommend this if YA romance is your thing.
First of all the book has many hilarious moments and I loved both the friendship and familial bonds in this. This book is a cultural delight and written beautifully. Also the third wheel scenarios are spot on.
But..
There is a reason I stay away from YA romance, I have both a teenage brother and a sister at home so almost all the problems faced in the book is what I face in my everyday life at home. Having reached a certain age I now find it silly (sorry in advance to whichever teens who are going to read this.) it doesn’t help that we have significant age gap. So this book didn’t resonate with me that much.
Also I hate the trope heroine secretly in love with hero but he dates many girls and have fling etc. it also didn’t help that heroine witnesses him kissing two different OW’s. Technically it’s not cheating here as they were not dating at the time but both had feelings for each other and heroine was so hurt. I HATED THAT PART.
Do you know what I hated more? THE ENDING.
And no freaking epilogue! may be there will be a part two. But doubtful if I’ll be reading it or not.
Still I’d recommend this if YA romance is your thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2022
03/05/22: rtc, happy pub day!!
*****
04/05/22:
Thank you NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Get ready for a google docs rant review kids, this is going to be a bumpy ride.
Never thought my rating of a book could change so much throughout reading it until I read this one, How To Be The Best Third-Wheel. AKA another reason why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover (because sometimes books with pretty covers turn out to be boring and a waste of your time!). I picked up HTBTBTW, thinking that I would read a fun rom-com about third wheeling and it delivered that, and it delivered even MORE of that and not in a good way. This book was so unnecessarily long, that I just couldn’t stand it anymore and started skimming the last 100 pages. Though, I must say, it did have a great dedication:
“To my love life- thank you for being so nonexistent that I had to write this.”
This book is about Lara Dela Cruz (what even is that name-) going on a vacation to the Philippines and returning back to school only to find out that all of the members of her girl gang have boyfriends now. Instead of being a normal person and a good friend, she treats them like shit for having boyfriends (????) and then plays the victim. I had an unpleasant experience with those kinds of people, so it was quite fun to read about (ironically I requested the book because I was third wheeling at school after my friend had a new boyfriend)!!!!! I just wanted to hit her with the back of the thickest book I own in my bookshelf. I know that it sounds malicious and weird but I really, really hated her. She was just this selfish, whiny and ungrateful 16 year-old who was not even close to being mature (or even pretending to be mature, for heaven’s sake). I’m not a psychologist but from what I saw in tv shows, homegirl has serious abandonment issues. She is too dependent on her friends and she probably thinks that she puts them first or something.
“I never told you anything other than the reasons that I don’t like you, let alone how to build me the perfect desert.”
Then there was the love interest, James who was just there. That’s all I have to say about him or else I would have to stop writing this review and start meditating to remain calm :)))))))))))))
“Selflessness and sacrifice don’t have to be weaknesses. Sometimes they’re our greatest strengths.”
The sense of humour (sorry the LACK OF sense of humour) in this book got on my nerves. Imagine reading a 300 something paged book about a girl with horrible gen z humor. You’d think they would stop making gen z references and “jokes” for at least a little while and be serious for once, but guess what? They don’t. Nope.
“Words threaded in a pretty sentence can be as easily broken as a bracelet held by a single string.”
Also her being: “nobody asks me out" GIRL WHERE IS YOUR #SELFLOVE??? AND PLEASE STOP DEFINING YOUR SELF WORTH WITH THE LOVE OF OTHERS. Then she’s all, “I hate him”, “He is awful”, “He is my mortal enemy”. Stop it. He is not your enemy and this is not an enemies-to-lovers book. Just stop it. I got too much second hand embarrassment from this book. I wanted to dig a whole and just hide in there until this cringe-fest was over.
“Even if we got stuck in the middle of nowhere, it would still be the perfect date because I’d be with you and being with you puts the brightness of the sun to shame.”
The fact that Lara/the author kept changing the topic, was unbearable. I have an annotation saying “how tf did we even get here?” because the mc kept rambling and ranting about every. little. detail.
“At least if you freeze, you’ll die cute. You’ll thank us later when your ghost looks pretty.”
To be honest, Illa and Lola Nora prevented me from giving the book 1 star, because they were the only wholesome characters who minded their own business. And the mc still managed to be jealous of their relationship while being the one who put distance between them herself. She can’t even be happy for her sister Illa and is, I quote, “bored” when she listens to her problems and her desperate plea for relationship advice because, oh, didn’t you know? The whole freaking world revolves around Lara. This review is getting too personal thanks to my awful former friends, fuck you guys <3
“I realize that it’s up to the third wheels to fix the problem and restore balance to the universe.”
Apparently you can blame someone you like that doesn’t know that you like them for breaking your heart. Well, that’s new. The guy doesn’t even know you exist and you’re like “ugh he is awful for not accidentally bumping into me/looking my way/sitting behind me”. I’m not exaggerating, here is an example of said situation: “I’m mad because he didn’t remember that I don’t skate.” and it's not just an "I'm mad at you, you idiot :D" type of situation, she went full-on crazy just because the poor guy didn't remember that "sHe DoEsN't sKAtE". Plus, I don’t know why but they talk to their teachers disrespectfully and playfully and the teacher’s respond like gen z teens. Is that what intimate teachers sound like or are they literally just written by a toddler?
“His smirk transfers via audio waves now; what an impressive technological revolution”
This book basically had the same old Netflix rom-com movie plot where the cool guy falls for the nerdy girl who was already obsessed with him. It was so predictable that I had a note saying that “blah blah blah would probably happen anytime now” and ten pages later, it happens! I’m not trying to be harsh or anything, just stating the facts and sometimes truth hurts.
“I hate him more than Katniss Everdeen hates President Snow”
Everyone was so problematic like they actually locked two of the couples who had just broken up and forced them to “kiss and make up” just for the sake of “saving their relationship” which was literally none of their business. No one should meddle in someone else's relationship. And Lara? STOP SAYING “SHIZBALLS” AND “FISHBALLS” PLEASE THANKYOUVERYMUCH.
“I’m the third wheel in my own relationship” (can you tell that I couldn't even find nice quotes from the book to add to my review that I'm using random sentences instead to fill the void lol)
On the other hand, for some weird reason, I kind of liked (not enjoyed, that’s a whole other thing.) reading this book when I tried to ignore the irritating main character altogether. I guess I liked the story of her friends more than her own story. To conclude, I did not hate this book because it had potential and because this was obviously the author’s first book and it was brave enough of them to share it with the world. Still, I would not recommend this book to anyone and would like the 7 days that I've just lost back while reading this book please.
*****
04/05/22:
Thank you NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Get ready for a google docs rant review kids, this is going to be a bumpy ride.
Never thought my rating of a book could change so much throughout reading it until I read this one, How To Be The Best Third-Wheel. AKA another reason why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover (because sometimes books with pretty covers turn out to be boring and a waste of your time!). I picked up HTBTBTW, thinking that I would read a fun rom-com about third wheeling and it delivered that, and it delivered even MORE of that and not in a good way. This book was so unnecessarily long, that I just couldn’t stand it anymore and started skimming the last 100 pages. Though, I must say, it did have a great dedication:
“To my love life- thank you for being so nonexistent that I had to write this.”
This book is about Lara Dela Cruz (what even is that name-) going on a vacation to the Philippines and returning back to school only to find out that all of the members of her girl gang have boyfriends now. Instead of being a normal person and a good friend, she treats them like shit for having boyfriends (????) and then plays the victim. I had an unpleasant experience with those kinds of people, so it was quite fun to read about (ironically I requested the book because I was third wheeling at school after my friend had a new boyfriend)!!!!! I just wanted to hit her with the back of the thickest book I own in my bookshelf. I know that it sounds malicious and weird but I really, really hated her. She was just this selfish, whiny and ungrateful 16 year-old who was not even close to being mature (or even pretending to be mature, for heaven’s sake). I’m not a psychologist but from what I saw in tv shows, homegirl has serious abandonment issues. She is too dependent on her friends and she probably thinks that she puts them first or something.
“I never told you anything other than the reasons that I don’t like you, let alone how to build me the perfect desert.”
Then there was the love interest, James who was just there. That’s all I have to say about him or else I would have to stop writing this review and start meditating to remain calm :)))))))))))))
“Selflessness and sacrifice don’t have to be weaknesses. Sometimes they’re our greatest strengths.”
The sense of humour (sorry the LACK OF sense of humour) in this book got on my nerves. Imagine reading a 300 something paged book about a girl with horrible gen z humor. You’d think they would stop making gen z references and “jokes” for at least a little while and be serious for once, but guess what? They don’t. Nope.
“Words threaded in a pretty sentence can be as easily broken as a bracelet held by a single string.”
Also her being: “nobody asks me out" GIRL WHERE IS YOUR #SELFLOVE??? AND PLEASE STOP DEFINING YOUR SELF WORTH WITH THE LOVE OF OTHERS. Then she’s all, “I hate him”, “He is awful”, “He is my mortal enemy”. Stop it. He is not your enemy and this is not an enemies-to-lovers book. Just stop it. I got too much second hand embarrassment from this book. I wanted to dig a whole and just hide in there until this cringe-fest was over.
“Even if we got stuck in the middle of nowhere, it would still be the perfect date because I’d be with you and being with you puts the brightness of the sun to shame.”
The fact that Lara/the author kept changing the topic, was unbearable. I have an annotation saying “how tf did we even get here?” because the mc kept rambling and ranting about every. little. detail.
“At least if you freeze, you’ll die cute. You’ll thank us later when your ghost looks pretty.”
To be honest, Illa and Lola Nora prevented me from giving the book 1 star, because they were the only wholesome characters who minded their own business. And the mc still managed to be jealous of their relationship while being the one who put distance between them herself. She can’t even be happy for her sister Illa and is, I quote, “bored” when she listens to her problems and her desperate plea for relationship advice because, oh, didn’t you know? The whole freaking world revolves around Lara. This review is getting too personal thanks to my awful former friends, fuck you guys <3
“I realize that it’s up to the third wheels to fix the problem and restore balance to the universe.”
Apparently you can blame someone you like that doesn’t know that you like them for breaking your heart. Well, that’s new. The guy doesn’t even know you exist and you’re like “ugh he is awful for not accidentally bumping into me/looking my way/sitting behind me”. I’m not exaggerating, here is an example of said situation: “I’m mad because he didn’t remember that I don’t skate.” and it's not just an "I'm mad at you, you idiot :D" type of situation, she went full-on crazy just because the poor guy didn't remember that "sHe DoEsN't sKAtE". Plus, I don’t know why but they talk to their teachers disrespectfully and playfully and the teacher’s respond like gen z teens. Is that what intimate teachers sound like or are they literally just written by a toddler?
“His smirk transfers via audio waves now; what an impressive technological revolution”
This book basically had the same old Netflix rom-com movie plot where the cool guy falls for the nerdy girl who was already obsessed with him. It was so predictable that I had a note saying that “blah blah blah would probably happen anytime now” and ten pages later, it happens! I’m not trying to be harsh or anything, just stating the facts and sometimes truth hurts.
“I hate him more than Katniss Everdeen hates President Snow”
Everyone was so problematic like they actually locked two of the couples who had just broken up and forced them to “kiss and make up” just for the sake of “saving their relationship” which was literally none of their business. No one should meddle in someone else's relationship. And Lara? STOP SAYING “SHIZBALLS” AND “FISHBALLS” PLEASE THANKYOUVERYMUCH.
“I’m the third wheel in my own relationship” (can you tell that I couldn't even find nice quotes from the book to add to my review that I'm using random sentences instead to fill the void lol)
On the other hand, for some weird reason, I kind of liked (not enjoyed, that’s a whole other thing.) reading this book when I tried to ignore the irritating main character altogether. I guess I liked the story of her friends more than her own story. To conclude, I did not hate this book because it had potential and because this was obviously the author’s first book and it was brave enough of them to share it with the world. Still, I would not recommend this book to anyone and would like the 7 days that I've just lost back while reading this book please.
February 20, 2022
This book...was good. A perfect, cheesy, romantic and anti-romantic simultaneously, young adult fiction book for young readers and anyone else who is interested in the cheesy romance genre.
This book is satirical, heavily trope-y, diverse, and in general a feel-good summer romance to read in three hours because you can't put it down. In some sections of this book, there was the usage of the language Tagalog, which I enjoyed thoroughly to have this represented in this book. I am not one who knows or uses Tagalog but felt much included with the translations at the end of each sentence.
The family dimensions and relationships stood out in this book as well, showing different dynamics with each family member and their relationship with each other and the people around them is inspirational.
This had many very poetic and hilarious quotes at the same time. Our narrator takes us along this story with her and acts as if we are their closest friends, sharing with us their internal thoughts and memories while we are enveloped in this story.
Our narrator was also able to connect with the readers, including many popular culture references and using colloquial language throughout the entire book—making this novel extremely accessible.
Although this book included many great facets to it, the novel also included some major problems that felt at times highly unrealistic. For example, the character's friends were beyond toxic and the main character was oblivious of it and forgave them almost instantly. This obliviousness also applies towards the end of the story, where the main character forgives a certain character extremely quickly in the span of about five pages. It would have been much more interesting if they had dragged that certain point a little longer to emphasize it and show some distance.
Some parts of this felt like middle school drama, which in a sense it was. Some parts felt like it came straight out of a soap opera yet re-enacted by high schoolers. Some of the characters felt much more immature than they should be at that age. Many moments felt highly unrealistic. Of course, this is respectable with a Young Adult romance novel, but it felt a bit excessive at times.
The ending also felt a bit rushed, trying to get to the point so it can be wrapped up. New characters were introduced far too late in the story and had arcs that went far too quickly. It would have been more enjoyable tenfold if it was spread out more. I wouldn't even mind more pages if it meant better character arcs.
This book had its ups and downs but was still undeniably good. It would be great for any cheesy romance lover.
All in all: good but still flawed.
thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for this Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book is satirical, heavily trope-y, diverse, and in general a feel-good summer romance to read in three hours because you can't put it down. In some sections of this book, there was the usage of the language Tagalog, which I enjoyed thoroughly to have this represented in this book. I am not one who knows or uses Tagalog but felt much included with the translations at the end of each sentence.
The family dimensions and relationships stood out in this book as well, showing different dynamics with each family member and their relationship with each other and the people around them is inspirational.
This had many very poetic and hilarious quotes at the same time. Our narrator takes us along this story with her and acts as if we are their closest friends, sharing with us their internal thoughts and memories while we are enveloped in this story.
Our narrator was also able to connect with the readers, including many popular culture references and using colloquial language throughout the entire book—making this novel extremely accessible.
Although this book included many great facets to it, the novel also included some major problems that felt at times highly unrealistic. For example, the character's friends were beyond toxic and the main character was oblivious of it and forgave them almost instantly. This obliviousness also applies towards the end of the story, where the main character forgives a certain character extremely quickly in the span of about five pages. It would have been much more interesting if they had dragged that certain point a little longer to emphasize it and show some distance.
Some parts of this felt like middle school drama, which in a sense it was. Some parts felt like it came straight out of a soap opera yet re-enacted by high schoolers. Some of the characters felt much more immature than they should be at that age. Many moments felt highly unrealistic. Of course, this is respectable with a Young Adult romance novel, but it felt a bit excessive at times.
The ending also felt a bit rushed, trying to get to the point so it can be wrapped up. New characters were introduced far too late in the story and had arcs that went far too quickly. It would have been more enjoyable tenfold if it was spread out more. I wouldn't even mind more pages if it meant better character arcs.
This book had its ups and downs but was still undeniably good. It would be great for any cheesy romance lover.
All in all: good but still flawed.
thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for this Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
April 11, 2022
"We grow up among married people, single people, friends, enemies, and family. There are so many people around us that it can’t be helped to be a third wheel, to feel out of place sometimes. Yet there are people out there who welcome us with open arms, accept us despite our flaws, and remind us that we’re more than what we are to others."
This was an utterly fresh, relatable, emotional and amazing book that I've read lately. I devoured it so fast because the way it depicted situations that teenagers usually face so subtly was very engaging. I could feel all of Laura's emotions and I could relate with her pov the most. I loved the dynamic between her & James a lot! I could never get enough of the childhood best friends to enemies to lovers trope and this book had it all! I loved the humor but I loved how one moment everything is going on fine and the next, circumstances turned pretty serious in the plot even more. The flow of the story was perfect but it would've been a five star read if a certain annoying character didn't show up. Overall, I loved how the book captured the highs and lows of dating and what happens when suddenly all your friends get entangled into their own relationships then start ditching you for their boyfriend and you find yourself alone. The book had depth and all the characters were really well sketched with some real issues that teens struggle to go through. I'm glad I read this book, it was a special journey for Lara, about discovering herself and finding what makes her happy the most.
Thank you Netgalley & Wattpad books for providing me the ARC
This was an utterly fresh, relatable, emotional and amazing book that I've read lately. I devoured it so fast because the way it depicted situations that teenagers usually face so subtly was very engaging. I could feel all of Laura's emotions and I could relate with her pov the most. I loved the dynamic between her & James a lot! I could never get enough of the childhood best friends to enemies to lovers trope and this book had it all! I loved the humor but I loved how one moment everything is going on fine and the next, circumstances turned pretty serious in the plot even more. The flow of the story was perfect but it would've been a five star read if a certain annoying character didn't show up. Overall, I loved how the book captured the highs and lows of dating and what happens when suddenly all your friends get entangled into their own relationships then start ditching you for their boyfriend and you find yourself alone. The book had depth and all the characters were really well sketched with some real issues that teens struggle to go through. I'm glad I read this book, it was a special journey for Lara, about discovering herself and finding what makes her happy the most.
Thank you Netgalley & Wattpad books for providing me the ARC
December 27, 2021
This book centres around a teenage highschooler, who comes back from her summer holiday in the Philippines and discovers her three best friends have boyfriends. The story centres around her relationship with her childhood nemesis, her friends, and coping with the changes around her.
The story is cliche, cringy, and gave me so much second hand embarrassement that I physically couldn't read another page of it.
The book is unoriginal, and just plain bad. But I will say the writing, for a wattpad story, is good. The plot line and story although unbelievably overused and cringe worthy, it still has the good classic trope of enemies to lovers.
13 year old me would have ate this up, rated it at 5 stars, and loved every minute of it. Which is why overall, I give it a 1.5 star rating because although I personally disliked this book, I know a lot of younger readers will love this.
Thank you to netgallery for sending me this book.
The story is cliche, cringy, and gave me so much second hand embarrassement that I physically couldn't read another page of it.
The book is unoriginal, and just plain bad. But I will say the writing, for a wattpad story, is good. The plot line and story although unbelievably overused and cringe worthy, it still has the good classic trope of enemies to lovers.
13 year old me would have ate this up, rated it at 5 stars, and loved every minute of it. Which is why overall, I give it a 1.5 star rating because although I personally disliked this book, I know a lot of younger readers will love this.
Thank you to netgallery for sending me this book.
January 31, 2023
3/5 stars, it was certainly an interesting ride
Thank you Girl's Guide for the finished copy in exchange for an honest review!
When I was offered a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review I was very interested, and while young adult romances aren't always my jam I was still willing to give this a try. There were a lot of pieces that had a lot of potential, but on the flip side, I could tell that this was originally a wattpad story. That's not always a bad thing, as wattpad is popular for a reason but that vibe wasn't what I really wanted from the story.
First off, I think one of my major complaints was that both the plotline and the characters were very heteronormative, mostly that there wasn't a single LGBTQ character. While there was racial and ethnic diversity to be found in the story, I don't remember there being any queer people within this story. In my opinion, not every story has to be about a ton of queer characters, in recent years I've gotten quite bored in books with none of these characters. Especially as diversity across all areas is really important, especially as in real life there's diversity everywhere and queer people exist in almost all spaces.
Besides just no queer characters being a part of the story, I had problems with pretty much all of the characters, especially in the beginning. The premise of the story is that the main character's three best friends all get boyfriends, and begin ditching her to do things with their boyfriends and encouraging her to get her own. Now, I am in my own relationship so I understood the wanting to spend time with the friend's significant others, but it was really ridiculous what they did. They would all make plans with all four of them and then ALL of them would ditch because they assumed one of them would show up. Then they made the main character feel bad for wanting to spend more time with her friends like they had before.
I was unhappy with how that plotline was happening, but I didn't mind the romance too much that the main character found herself in. Even while the entire story felt very juvenile (even though they were seniors in high school) the ending she had with her romantic interest was very mature for really any age. It wasn't the ending I was really expecting either from this book, so I'll give it that.
[TW: lying, brief infidelity, depiction of jealousy]
Thank you Girl's Guide for the finished copy in exchange for an honest review!
When I was offered a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review I was very interested, and while young adult romances aren't always my jam I was still willing to give this a try. There were a lot of pieces that had a lot of potential, but on the flip side, I could tell that this was originally a wattpad story. That's not always a bad thing, as wattpad is popular for a reason but that vibe wasn't what I really wanted from the story.
First off, I think one of my major complaints was that both the plotline and the characters were very heteronormative, mostly that there wasn't a single LGBTQ character. While there was racial and ethnic diversity to be found in the story, I don't remember there being any queer people within this story. In my opinion, not every story has to be about a ton of queer characters, in recent years I've gotten quite bored in books with none of these characters. Especially as diversity across all areas is really important, especially as in real life there's diversity everywhere and queer people exist in almost all spaces.
Besides just no queer characters being a part of the story, I had problems with pretty much all of the characters, especially in the beginning. The premise of the story is that the main character's three best friends all get boyfriends, and begin ditching her to do things with their boyfriends and encouraging her to get her own. Now, I am in my own relationship so I understood the wanting to spend time with the friend's significant others, but it was really ridiculous what they did. They would all make plans with all four of them and then ALL of them would ditch because they assumed one of them would show up. Then they made the main character feel bad for wanting to spend more time with her friends like they had before.
I was unhappy with how that plotline was happening, but I didn't mind the romance too much that the main character found herself in. Even while the entire story felt very juvenile (even though they were seniors in high school) the ending she had with her romantic interest was very mature for really any age. It wasn't the ending I was really expecting either from this book, so I'll give it that.
[TW: lying, brief infidelity, depiction of jealousy]
May 24, 2022
Lara went to the Philippines on summer vacation and in a couple of months, her all single best friends' group changed their relationship status. Lara never expected it in her wildest dream that she'll have to spend her final year in school as the 7th wheel, everything is so uncomfortable. All of her best friends are so busy making excuses so they can spend time with their boyfriends. If that wasn't enough her long-term frenemy also found more time to focus on Lara after his friends started to date Lara's friends.
This book was not only about how it feels to be a third wheel but it was equally the long-term friend to the enemy to lover story. The story was clearly written for a younger audience so I found it CRINGY but the author already gave the disclaimer in the beginning so it is on me. In many places it was so weird that all of her three friends feel the need to dump Lara one after the other, it was so cruel to her. I really felt bad for Lara. Lara and James' scenes were cute and they definitely had some chemistry. I like that readers were given the background story of how they became enemies.
Overall it has a good amount of cringy stuff and cliches, nothing was original but it was a light read.
This book was not only about how it feels to be a third wheel but it was equally the long-term friend to the enemy to lover story. The story was clearly written for a younger audience so I found it CRINGY but the author already gave the disclaimer in the beginning so it is on me. In many places it was so weird that all of her three friends feel the need to dump Lara one after the other, it was so cruel to her. I really felt bad for Lara. Lara and James' scenes were cute and they definitely had some chemistry. I like that readers were given the background story of how they became enemies.
Overall it has a good amount of cringy stuff and cliches, nothing was original but it was a light read.
December 5, 2022
THIS WAS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love how the plot was resolved and just, ugh, it was so good! This was almost completely clean (no swear words, sex, or anything like that) and it was amazing. I would say realistically this is a 4.5-star book. The only reason this isn't a five-star is because the secondary conflict was introduced way too late in the book and it felt rushed by then. Also, I've got to mention that Lara was so relatable, this book is so tabbed up.
I love how the plot was resolved and just, ugh, it was so good! This was almost completely clean (no swear words, sex, or anything like that) and it was amazing. I would say realistically this is a 4.5-star book. The only reason this isn't a five-star is because the secondary conflict was introduced way too late in the book and it felt rushed by then. Also, I've got to mention that Lara was so relatable, this book is so tabbed up.
June 2, 2025
4.25 ⭐️
I think about it a lot but the ending was lacking
I think about it a lot but the ending was lacking
March 22, 2022
This is a two and a half star book, but I've rounded up because some of the things I don't like about it may be because of my age (this is a ya book, and I prefer my YA to be fantasy) and the writing style (often a personal preference).
The main character, Lara -a typical dramatic know-it-all teenage girl- is actually pretty entertaining (only mildly annoying) and her fued with James is fun to read.
"Our fued was established when it was decided that we'd both exist on the same planet."
Lara's group of friends are all a strange mix of personalities, which makes their interactions interesting, especially after she immediately finds out that every single one of her friends started dating someone over summer break.
That being said, this book seems more middle-grade rather than just YA, despite the age of the characters. It starts off strong, but drags throughout. The writing is a bit mediocre, and the way the Tagalong conversations are presented (with an English translation in parentheses following) is annoying and takes away from the story. There are moments where the author has a tendency to tell instead of show parts of the story that could have been introduced differently. Easy to get through though, since this is a quick read.
Note: Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review!
The main character, Lara -a typical dramatic know-it-all teenage girl- is actually pretty entertaining (only mildly annoying) and her fued with James is fun to read.
"Our fued was established when it was decided that we'd both exist on the same planet."
Lara's group of friends are all a strange mix of personalities, which makes their interactions interesting, especially after she immediately finds out that every single one of her friends started dating someone over summer break.
That being said, this book seems more middle-grade rather than just YA, despite the age of the characters. It starts off strong, but drags throughout. The writing is a bit mediocre, and the way the Tagalong conversations are presented (with an English translation in parentheses following) is annoying and takes away from the story. There are moments where the author has a tendency to tell instead of show parts of the story that could have been introduced differently. Easy to get through though, since this is a quick read.
Note: Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review!
February 19, 2022
I received an advanced copy of this book (set to be published May 3) from NetGalley and the publisher. My honest opinions are reflected below....(I feel like that should be followed by the Law and Order: SVU DUN DUN sound.)
I'm not even sure where to start with this review...what should have been a very cute book ended up having so many problems for me.
Let's start with the good.
What I liked about the book:
1. I liked the diversity, however, I felt it really could have been talked about a lot more. Lara and Jasmine are both second generation immigrants (Lara from the Philippines and Jasmine from Beijing, China). Carol is a first generation immigrant from Goa, India. There are references to different upbringings between the friends, but it's not really touched on a whole lot. It was like the diversity box was checked and then nothing more was done about it. I feel the audience was owed more.
2. I really liked the use of the Tagalog language followed by the English translation. I definitely felt the importance of the language from the grandmothers' perspectives through this, but I wasn't left in the dark because I don't speak Tagalog.
3. Lara did have some good zingers throughout the book that I appreciated:
"Unfortunately, that class is physical education, and the only 'education' I'm getting from this is that sports like basketball have complicated rules that I don't care about and my fitness declines exponentially with each year." - Same girl, same.
"I don't know, maybe it's because I don't like you and people tend to avoid things they don't like. It's like, an evolutionary trait." - I mean, I can definitely relate to this being the anti-socialite that I am.
What I didn't like about the book:
1. Lara's friends are terrible. They totally just drop her once they get boyfriends, and in my opinion, they never really make up for that.
2. This book is DROWNING in tropes! I love tropes, don't get me wrong, but checking every single one except unexpected pregnancy??? A little much.
3. Some of it feels very elementary school while other parts feel right for high school. How can she be a romance expert and hate the idea of kissing?
"The sight of couples sharing saliva and trying to swallow each other's tongues makes me want to vomit all over the floor." - This quote really brought back elementary school vibes. It's like, sh*t girl, save that hockey player for me then!
4. There were too many problems near the end of the book and literally none of them were solved. Here's where I'm going to leave spoilers, so its on you to look away at this point....
-
-
-
-
-
Not sure what you want to do with your life after high school? Well, you still don't and you didn't sign up for literally the one thing that you may want to do. Sucks to suck?
Cousin's an evil b*tch who is trying to steal your man? She may not have stole him but she's still evil, you didn't get her back, and he still got away. Face, meet palm.
Not sure what the future has in store for you and your man? Well, instead of getting the typical HEA with some fluff about how it will be alright, we essentially got told to bend over and take it because THERE WAS NO HEA!!!.
TLDR: It's all bad.
2 HEA-not-included stars.
I'm not even sure where to start with this review...what should have been a very cute book ended up having so many problems for me.
Let's start with the good.
What I liked about the book:
1. I liked the diversity, however, I felt it really could have been talked about a lot more. Lara and Jasmine are both second generation immigrants (Lara from the Philippines and Jasmine from Beijing, China). Carol is a first generation immigrant from Goa, India. There are references to different upbringings between the friends, but it's not really touched on a whole lot. It was like the diversity box was checked and then nothing more was done about it. I feel the audience was owed more.
2. I really liked the use of the Tagalog language followed by the English translation. I definitely felt the importance of the language from the grandmothers' perspectives through this, but I wasn't left in the dark because I don't speak Tagalog.
3. Lara did have some good zingers throughout the book that I appreciated:
"Unfortunately, that class is physical education, and the only 'education' I'm getting from this is that sports like basketball have complicated rules that I don't care about and my fitness declines exponentially with each year." - Same girl, same.
"I don't know, maybe it's because I don't like you and people tend to avoid things they don't like. It's like, an evolutionary trait." - I mean, I can definitely relate to this being the anti-socialite that I am.
What I didn't like about the book:
1. Lara's friends are terrible. They totally just drop her once they get boyfriends, and in my opinion, they never really make up for that.
2. This book is DROWNING in tropes! I love tropes, don't get me wrong, but checking every single one except unexpected pregnancy??? A little much.
3. Some of it feels very elementary school while other parts feel right for high school. How can she be a romance expert and hate the idea of kissing?
"The sight of couples sharing saliva and trying to swallow each other's tongues makes me want to vomit all over the floor." - This quote really brought back elementary school vibes. It's like, sh*t girl, save that hockey player for me then!
4. There were too many problems near the end of the book and literally none of them were solved. Here's where I'm going to leave spoilers, so its on you to look away at this point....
-
-
-
-
-
Not sure what you want to do with your life after high school? Well, you still don't and you didn't sign up for literally the one thing that you may want to do. Sucks to suck?
Cousin's an evil b*tch who is trying to steal your man? She may not have stole him but she's still evil, you didn't get her back, and he still got away. Face, meet palm.
Not sure what the future has in store for you and your man? Well, instead of getting the typical HEA with some fluff about how it will be alright, we essentially got told to bend over and take it because THERE WAS NO HEA!!!.
TLDR: It's all bad.
2 HEA-not-included stars.
January 1, 2022
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Lara spent the summer before senior year visiting family in the Philippines, and expected that nothing much would have changed when she returned. So it's a shock when her three best friends all have found boyfriends over the summer, and she's the third wheel - or more like the seventh wheel. And what makes it even worse is that the boyfriends are all friends with her arch nemesis, James, who is third wheeling too. Now that the two groups are mixed, Lara can't escape James, and the feeling she pushed aside when she was younger are coming back.
I was really surprised by this book. I was expecting it to be a decent contemporary, probably a little cringy in places, and though that did happen at times, I also couldn't put the book down once I started it. I really enjoyed all of the characters in the book. Lara was a little abrasive at times, but she was dealing with a lot of change, and she wanted to keep the status quo. However, it read like a real book, with real characters and scenarios. Okay, it was cringy at times, and a bit over the top at others, but all in all, it really suited the characters and the setting of it. The only real thing I disliked was the ending, though I think it was probably included to make the book feel more realistic, rather than fiction? I don't know, but it was a solid debut in any case.
Lara spent the summer before senior year visiting family in the Philippines, and expected that nothing much would have changed when she returned. So it's a shock when her three best friends all have found boyfriends over the summer, and she's the third wheel - or more like the seventh wheel. And what makes it even worse is that the boyfriends are all friends with her arch nemesis, James, who is third wheeling too. Now that the two groups are mixed, Lara can't escape James, and the feeling she pushed aside when she was younger are coming back.
I was really surprised by this book. I was expecting it to be a decent contemporary, probably a little cringy in places, and though that did happen at times, I also couldn't put the book down once I started it. I really enjoyed all of the characters in the book. Lara was a little abrasive at times, but she was dealing with a lot of change, and she wanted to keep the status quo. However, it read like a real book, with real characters and scenarios. Okay, it was cringy at times, and a bit over the top at others, but all in all, it really suited the characters and the setting of it. The only real thing I disliked was the ending, though I think it was probably included to make the book feel more realistic, rather than fiction? I don't know, but it was a solid debut in any case.
January 7, 2022
I read this book in a day. I couldn't put it down or be so good. The absolute accuracy of the third wheel is highly heart. As much as friends say things will be the same once they couple up. For the single one, it's NEVER the same. and to say something automatically means jealousy. Lara is was losing her friends to their boyfriend. They've already started to cancel things, their boyfriends are always invited to their events and she's doesn't know what to do about it. James her enemy is the other single one and she's wrangled into spending every day with him helping with math. I just loved this book and the ending was perfectly reflective of two people in grade 12, just starting z new life and relationship. Just great!
June 3, 2022
i?? want?? financial compensation????
WHERES MY EPILOGUE. I WANT THIS FIXED???
anyways i still like it, it’s not objectively great but it’s comforting to me so 3.5/5 stars
WHERES MY EPILOGUE. I WANT THIS FIXED???
anyways i still like it, it’s not objectively great but it’s comforting to me so 3.5/5 stars
dnf
December 25, 2021DNF @ 45%
Man, I am so sad that this one didn't click with me. I have been trying for a few weeks now to finish it, but I just can't bring myself to. Lara, her friends, and her friends' boyfriends are all so extremely childish, and I couldn't handle it anymore; they are supposed to be 17, but they read more like 13-14. I also, unfortunately, could not connect with the writing style.
Being that this began as a Wattpad story written by the author when she was 14, and even she says there are a lot of changes she is going to make before the final cut, I am not writing this book off entirely. Depending on how it looks when it is published, I might pick it up again in its more polished form. I do want to see Lara happy and was beginning to feel invested in the fledgling relationship I saw blossoming, so it was not necessarily the overarching story that turned me off.
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Man, I am so sad that this one didn't click with me. I have been trying for a few weeks now to finish it, but I just can't bring myself to. Lara, her friends, and her friends' boyfriends are all so extremely childish, and I couldn't handle it anymore; they are supposed to be 17, but they read more like 13-14. I also, unfortunately, could not connect with the writing style.
Being that this began as a Wattpad story written by the author when she was 14, and even she says there are a lot of changes she is going to make before the final cut, I am not writing this book off entirely. Depending on how it looks when it is published, I might pick it up again in its more polished form. I do want to see Lara happy and was beginning to feel invested in the fledgling relationship I saw blossoming, so it was not necessarily the overarching story that turned me off.
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 12, 2022
cute story about high school drama and relationships
we have a friends-to-enemies-to friends/lover kinda story
I love how the story started and you get to see how the characters were in the past throughout the story that reveals so much about them and their relationship
this story gives you all the feels
and the ending is just wow
a must-read
I was lucky enough to get this book as an ARC from Net Galley to read for an honest review.
we have a friends-to-enemies-to friends/lover kinda story
I love how the story started and you get to see how the characters were in the past throughout the story that reveals so much about them and their relationship
this story gives you all the feels
and the ending is just wow
a must-read
I was lucky enough to get this book as an ARC from Net Galley to read for an honest review.
May 2, 2022
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by Wattpad Books.
It’s the last year of highschool, and everything has changed. After spending summer vacation in the Philippines with family, Lara returns to school eager to catch up with her close knit group of girlfriends. But within minutes of reuniting with her friends, she learns that not one, not two, but all three of them are now in relationships that blossomed over the summer. And to make matters worse, Lara’s long time frenemy, James, won’t stop bugging her in class and eventually forces her into tutoring him everyday after school. Surviving high school was never easy to begin with, but with occupied friends, a hectic Filipino family, and her annoying childhood enemy pestering her more than ever, Lara tries to juggle everything, while trying to figure out her own place in the chaos.
For starters, this book was set in Toronto and I love a good Canadian representation in a book. This book did seem more middle-grade rather than just YA, despite the age of the characters. It started off strong, but drags throughout. The writing is a bit mediocre, and the way the Tagalong conversations are presented (with an English translation in parentheses following) is annoying and takes away from the story. I did like the format of the story with the tips, but the flow was off. Nothing was cohesive and some parts felt choppy. Some parts of the book was also very cringy and there were way too many cliches. I think this book will be better for a teen audience. However, it was a quick and light read.
It’s the last year of highschool, and everything has changed. After spending summer vacation in the Philippines with family, Lara returns to school eager to catch up with her close knit group of girlfriends. But within minutes of reuniting with her friends, she learns that not one, not two, but all three of them are now in relationships that blossomed over the summer. And to make matters worse, Lara’s long time frenemy, James, won’t stop bugging her in class and eventually forces her into tutoring him everyday after school. Surviving high school was never easy to begin with, but with occupied friends, a hectic Filipino family, and her annoying childhood enemy pestering her more than ever, Lara tries to juggle everything, while trying to figure out her own place in the chaos.
For starters, this book was set in Toronto and I love a good Canadian representation in a book. This book did seem more middle-grade rather than just YA, despite the age of the characters. It started off strong, but drags throughout. The writing is a bit mediocre, and the way the Tagalong conversations are presented (with an English translation in parentheses following) is annoying and takes away from the story. I did like the format of the story with the tips, but the flow was off. Nothing was cohesive and some parts felt choppy. Some parts of the book was also very cringy and there were way too many cliches. I think this book will be better for a teen audience. However, it was a quick and light read.
March 15, 2022
2 Stars |
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Disclaimer: I am in no way a harsh reviewer. If I liked a book, it's going to be getting at least four stars. However, I just had so many problems with How to Be the Best Third Wheel that I just could not get over.
Let's begin with the overall premise of the book. After spending the summer before her senior year in the Philippines, Lara comes back to school only to discover that her three best friends have boyfriends, making her the third wheel. Introducing James, Lara's once best friend, whom she has known for her entire life because their moms are best friends. Turns out that Lara's three best friends- Jasmine, Kiera, and Carol- are each dating one of James' best friends- Mark, Daniel, and Logan. In this strange turn of events, Lara and James both end up being the third wheel.
I'm not going to lie, there were so many times that I found things that Lara said to be funny, and I loved the inclusion of the Tagalog language, with translations. Other than that, I could not get myself to like these characters. Throughout the entire book, there were just so many plot holes, grammatical as well as spelling errors. Not to mention the overall lack of character development and toxic relationships. I mean, when a person- or a group of people, in this case- keep apologizing for their actions, but make absolutely no effort to change their behavior, they were never actually sorry!
Spoilers below so please don't keep scrolling unless you want to read them:
*****
-Lara's friend group was just terrible. Lara's friends immediately forget about her as soon as they find themselves in relationships. They even lied to her, on multiple occasions, so that they could all hang out without her, only to post about it on Instagram? After all of this, Lara would get upset, then just easily forgive them as soon as they apologized. Multiple times. It felt as though Lara blamed herself for her friends' actions, which made it even worse.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Disclaimer: I am in no way a harsh reviewer. If I liked a book, it's going to be getting at least four stars. However, I just had so many problems with How to Be the Best Third Wheel that I just could not get over.
Let's begin with the overall premise of the book. After spending the summer before her senior year in the Philippines, Lara comes back to school only to discover that her three best friends have boyfriends, making her the third wheel. Introducing James, Lara's once best friend, whom she has known for her entire life because their moms are best friends. Turns out that Lara's three best friends- Jasmine, Kiera, and Carol- are each dating one of James' best friends- Mark, Daniel, and Logan. In this strange turn of events, Lara and James both end up being the third wheel.
I'm not going to lie, there were so many times that I found things that Lara said to be funny, and I loved the inclusion of the Tagalog language, with translations. Other than that, I could not get myself to like these characters. Throughout the entire book, there were just so many plot holes, grammatical as well as spelling errors. Not to mention the overall lack of character development and toxic relationships. I mean, when a person- or a group of people, in this case- keep apologizing for their actions, but make absolutely no effort to change their behavior, they were never actually sorry!
Spoilers below so please don't keep scrolling unless you want to read them:
*****
-Lara's friend group was just terrible. Lara's friends immediately forget about her as soon as they find themselves in relationships. They even lied to her, on multiple occasions, so that they could all hang out without her, only to post about it on Instagram? After all of this, Lara would get upset, then just easily forgive them as soon as they apologized. Multiple times. It felt as though Lara blamed herself for her friends' actions, which made it even worse.
May 10, 2022
“There are times when I feel okay about myself but then there are times like this, when I don’t fit in anywhere. It’s like, you love so many people but you’re just in a completely different room, peering through a glass window and observing. Sometimes I’m merely a spectator of the show, and I wish I could be okay with that.”
Thank you so much to the author and my partners at Wattpad Books for a gifted arc of this novel in exchange for my honest thoughts.
I had to request this book when I saw that it had Filipino/Asian character representation! I loved the inclusion of many relatable elements of Asian culture, including multi-generational families living under one roof, the mentions of delicious Filipino foods like arroz-caldo and pandesal, and of course the smatterings of Tagalog language within the dialogue.
This YA novel was wholesome in the sweet ways its characters interacted, and in the way the central plot played out within the confines of its classic high school setting. The childhood friends to enemies to lovers trope developed organically, albeit in a very predictable way. There were some poignant and serious truths touched on along the way, but on the whole this was a quick and easy story to enjoy. I especially liked and related to the protagonist’s personal journey as she struggled to come to terms with growing up and her friend group drifting apart in their senior year.
I feel the writing could have benefited from having a few less friend characters for the protagonist. There were three other girls in her BFF group (which meant another three characters for their boyfriends), and the way the story had to keep jumping around between them all to share page space prevented me from being invested in any of their side stories. I enjoyed the story best when it focused on Lara’s relationship with James and her relationship with her family at home.
Overall I enjoyed this author’s writing style. I wish the ending wasn’t drawn out with a last-minute conflict, but I do appreciate it ending on a realistic note, illustrating the lessons that the protagonist had learned. There’s a good mix of humor, drama, and first loves in this novel, which makes for a solid YA book that a lot of readers will surely enjoy.
Thank you so much to the author and my partners at Wattpad Books for a gifted arc of this novel in exchange for my honest thoughts.
I had to request this book when I saw that it had Filipino/Asian character representation! I loved the inclusion of many relatable elements of Asian culture, including multi-generational families living under one roof, the mentions of delicious Filipino foods like arroz-caldo and pandesal, and of course the smatterings of Tagalog language within the dialogue.
This YA novel was wholesome in the sweet ways its characters interacted, and in the way the central plot played out within the confines of its classic high school setting. The childhood friends to enemies to lovers trope developed organically, albeit in a very predictable way. There were some poignant and serious truths touched on along the way, but on the whole this was a quick and easy story to enjoy. I especially liked and related to the protagonist’s personal journey as she struggled to come to terms with growing up and her friend group drifting apart in their senior year.
I feel the writing could have benefited from having a few less friend characters for the protagonist. There were three other girls in her BFF group (which meant another three characters for their boyfriends), and the way the story had to keep jumping around between them all to share page space prevented me from being invested in any of their side stories. I enjoyed the story best when it focused on Lara’s relationship with James and her relationship with her family at home.
Overall I enjoyed this author’s writing style. I wish the ending wasn’t drawn out with a last-minute conflict, but I do appreciate it ending on a realistic note, illustrating the lessons that the protagonist had learned. There’s a good mix of humor, drama, and first loves in this novel, which makes for a solid YA book that a lot of readers will surely enjoy.
March 11, 2022
Well... that was not great. I think De Villa has the potential to be a really great young adult contemporary writer, but this was not it. This was published by Wattpad books, and it shows. I think Wattpad can produce high quality works, but this needed a lot more editing to get it there.
Let me start out with a list of things I did like:
-Lara had a really unique voice and I found her to be funny most of the time.
-When the friends weren't being the actual worst they were fun and funny.
-James had some sweet dialogue towards Lara (when he wasn't lowkey bullying her).
The author is 19 and I don't want to be too harsh, so I'm just going to list out some things that didn't work for me without getting into too much detail:
-This arc desperately needed another editorial pass. For grammar and there were a couple sections were details were missing and needed fleshing out (with parenthetical notes to do so).
-The plot was choppy; it felt like things happened just to be checked off an outline and not because there was a natural flow.
-I never really felt I got to know most of the characters besides Lara. Maybe that was intentional, but I don't think it was.
-The whole Eliza side-plot was completely unnecessary and added unneeded conflict.
-On that note, James bullied her and said borderline rude things to her for the majority of the book and is not my ideal choice for a love interest (but this is a personal preference).
Overall, I was expecting this to be cheesy and sweet, but it ended up being more cringe than cute.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
Let me start out with a list of things I did like:
-Lara had a really unique voice and I found her to be funny most of the time.
-When the friends weren't being the actual worst they were fun and funny.
-James had some sweet dialogue towards Lara (when he wasn't lowkey bullying her).
The author is 19 and I don't want to be too harsh, so I'm just going to list out some things that didn't work for me without getting into too much detail:
-This arc desperately needed another editorial pass. For grammar and there were a couple sections were details were missing and needed fleshing out (with parenthetical notes to do so).
-The plot was choppy; it felt like things happened just to be checked off an outline and not because there was a natural flow.
-I never really felt I got to know most of the characters besides Lara. Maybe that was intentional, but I don't think it was.
-The whole Eliza side-plot was completely unnecessary and added unneeded conflict.
-On that note, James bullied her and said borderline rude things to her for the majority of the book and is not my ideal choice for a love interest (but this is a personal preference).
Overall, I was expecting this to be cheesy and sweet, but it ended up being more cringe than cute.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
January 4, 2022
“Why is it so hard for us to spend time together now? Are they simply tired of our group? Do they laugh more with their boyfriends than they do when we’re together? Is our friendship not interesting enough for them?”
Thank you, Netgalley, for the arc!
Filipino MCs always get bonus points. So do Canadian MCs. So this book scored those right off the bat. Lara is like me for other reasons so I appreciate being attacked. (Fictional men are better, though). I related to her struggles with being a third-wheel and her imposter syndrome. I wish we got more on the latter.
I do like the format of the story with all the tips, but the flow was off. Nothing was cohesive and the parts felt choppy. A lot of the dialogue was cringey, especially with some of the teachers.
Lara, girl, you need new friends. You too, James, but mostly Lara. I know they were there for you in the end, but seriously.And their boyfriends were the same dude in different fonts.
Possible
But overall, it was a nice and enjoyable book.
Thank you, Netgalley, for the arc!
Filipino MCs always get bonus points. So do Canadian MCs. So this book scored those right off the bat. Lara is like me for other reasons so I appreciate being attacked. (Fictional men are better, though). I related to her struggles with being a third-wheel and her imposter syndrome. I wish we got more on the latter.
I do like the format of the story with all the tips, but the flow was off. Nothing was cohesive and the parts felt choppy. A lot of the dialogue was cringey, especially with some of the teachers.
Lara, girl, you need new friends. You too, James, but mostly Lara. I know they were there for you in the end, but seriously.
Possible
But overall, it was a nice and enjoyable book.
January 8, 2022
Spoiler Free Review
How to be the best third wheel is a cute contemporary novel that follows the main character Lara who is a high school girl that will be going into her senior year. When her and her family take a trip to the Philippines, Lara doesn’t expect any changes when she comes back. Little did she know, while she was on vacation her 3 best friends had all gotten boyfriends. When Lara got back she soon realized how much of a third wheel she was when all of her friends tried their best to include her during their dates. We meet a character James who in a way, is also a third wheel. Lara finds herself getting interested in him by the day, though she resents the idea of herself liking him. Continue reading the book to read about the interesting ways Lara will deal with third wheeling.
To me, this book was an easy short read. There was typical teenage drama & emotion. What I did like about this book was that it was relatable. I could relate to Lara’s worries & hopes. I liked the filipino culture representation in the book too. Similarly, another thing I had liked was how each chapters title was a tip on “How to be the best third wheel”. My reasoning for 3 stars was due to how I found parts of the book to be cringe and predictable. Finally, there was much character improvement through out the book which I had liked.
Do I recommend this book? Yes, to those who are looking for a nice YA novel.
Overall, this book was good, just didn’t capture my attention as much as I hoped.
e-ARC provided By Netgalley and Publisher. (Thank you!)
I received a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are mine.
EXPECTED RELEASE DATE: May 3, 2022
REVIEWED: 1/7/2021
How to be the best third wheel is a cute contemporary novel that follows the main character Lara who is a high school girl that will be going into her senior year. When her and her family take a trip to the Philippines, Lara doesn’t expect any changes when she comes back. Little did she know, while she was on vacation her 3 best friends had all gotten boyfriends. When Lara got back she soon realized how much of a third wheel she was when all of her friends tried their best to include her during their dates. We meet a character James who in a way, is also a third wheel. Lara finds herself getting interested in him by the day, though she resents the idea of herself liking him. Continue reading the book to read about the interesting ways Lara will deal with third wheeling.
To me, this book was an easy short read. There was typical teenage drama & emotion. What I did like about this book was that it was relatable. I could relate to Lara’s worries & hopes. I liked the filipino culture representation in the book too. Similarly, another thing I had liked was how each chapters title was a tip on “How to be the best third wheel”. My reasoning for 3 stars was due to how I found parts of the book to be cringe and predictable. Finally, there was much character improvement through out the book which I had liked.
Do I recommend this book? Yes, to those who are looking for a nice YA novel.
Overall, this book was good, just didn’t capture my attention as much as I hoped.
e-ARC provided By Netgalley and Publisher. (Thank you!)
I received a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are mine.
EXPECTED RELEASE DATE: May 3, 2022
REVIEWED: 1/7/2021
November 9, 2025
Ma note : 4,5/5 ✨
Une romance YA drôle et rafraîchissante 🤍
J’ai beaucoup aimé cette lecture qui m’a très souvent donné l’impression d’être en train de regarder une série avec les épisodes qui défilent au fur et à mesure des chapitres ! Tout est très parlant et c’est totalement ce que j’ai l’habitude de regarder 👀 (le parfait mélange de la série « mes premières fois » et des livres de Lynn Painter)
J’adore lire des livres YA et je dois dire que celui-ci coche toutes les cases ! Le livre est plein de touches d’humour bien placées qui m’ont vraiment fait sourire et la relation entre les deux personnages principaux, Lara et James, est vraiment tumultueuse !
J’ai eu un peu plus de mal avec les personnages secondaires qui m’ont énervés à plusieurs reprises mais en même temps on ne peut que leur pardonner car ils sont jeunes et qu’ils apprennent ! 🥹
J’ai aussi vraiment apprécié tout le côté culturel des Philippines que je n’avais jamais eu l’occasion de retrouver dans les livres. C’était vraiment présent tout au long du livre avec les familles des personnages et j’ai trouvé ça super que ce soit mis en avant comme ça !
La fin est très ouverte et j’ai adoré ce côté auquel on ne s’attend pas ! Je n’aurais pas pu imaginer une meilleure fin pour eux. 🤍
À lire si tu aimes :
- Les romans YA ✨
- Les touches d’humour dans les romans ! 😂
- Les friends to enemies to lovers 👀
Une romance YA drôle et rafraîchissante 🤍
J’ai beaucoup aimé cette lecture qui m’a très souvent donné l’impression d’être en train de regarder une série avec les épisodes qui défilent au fur et à mesure des chapitres ! Tout est très parlant et c’est totalement ce que j’ai l’habitude de regarder 👀 (le parfait mélange de la série « mes premières fois » et des livres de Lynn Painter)
J’adore lire des livres YA et je dois dire que celui-ci coche toutes les cases ! Le livre est plein de touches d’humour bien placées qui m’ont vraiment fait sourire et la relation entre les deux personnages principaux, Lara et James, est vraiment tumultueuse !
J’ai eu un peu plus de mal avec les personnages secondaires qui m’ont énervés à plusieurs reprises mais en même temps on ne peut que leur pardonner car ils sont jeunes et qu’ils apprennent ! 🥹
J’ai aussi vraiment apprécié tout le côté culturel des Philippines que je n’avais jamais eu l’occasion de retrouver dans les livres. C’était vraiment présent tout au long du livre avec les familles des personnages et j’ai trouvé ça super que ce soit mis en avant comme ça !
La fin est très ouverte et j’ai adoré ce côté auquel on ne s’attend pas ! Je n’aurais pas pu imaginer une meilleure fin pour eux. 🤍
À lire si tu aimes :
- Les romans YA ✨
- Les touches d’humour dans les romans ! 😂
- Les friends to enemies to lovers 👀
June 11, 2024
4🌟
Tropes:
●Frenemies
●Tutoring
“We’re just kids,” he whispers. “How the hell does everyone expect us to know what we want to do for the rest of our lives?”
“Maybe the tables have turned and I’m going to kill you.”
If you keep looking at me like that, you just might.
The ending was not that satisfying but overall it was enjoyable.
Tropes:
●Frenemies
●Tutoring
“We’re just kids,” he whispers. “How the hell does everyone expect us to know what we want to do for the rest of our lives?”
“Maybe the tables have turned and I’m going to kill you.”
If you keep looking at me like that, you just might.
The ending was not that satisfying but overall it was enjoyable.
May 26, 2022
4.5 Stars
Enemies to Lovers
Childhood Crush
A clean cheesy YA read.
Enemies to Lovers
Childhood Crush
A clean cheesy YA read.
Read
August 7, 2022help I remember reading this like two years ago and two years ago I loved it but should I really trust 2020 me? probably not
December 20, 2023
Wow, wow, wow!! This book really surprised me! When I found it, I never expected to love it as much as I did! It had some topics that really resonated with me and scenes that were just a little too relatable. I loved Lara and how she brought comedic relief to even her worst moments. Most parts I laughed, but there were some that made my eyes go all teary (omg that ending!!!). Don’t underestimate this book!! It is amazing!!
May 28, 2025
“There are times when I feel okay about myself but then there are times like this, when I don’t fit in anywhere. Its like, you love so many people but you’re just in a completely different room, peering through a glass window and observing. Sometimes I’m merely a spectator of the show and I wish I could be okay with that.”
Although I'm not in the habit of reading YA romance (unfortunately I'm no longer part of the target audience *crying internally*), I saw this book on NetGalley and decided to give it a try. I wasn't disappointed at all!
A light, well-written book, with well-built characters who perfectly represent their age group, without being too adult or too childish. I loved following the main character, Lara, and remembering a bit what it is to be a teenager, all the challenges and confusion. It's amazing how I can relate to most of the things that happen to her, which left me with such a nice feeling of nostalgia! The relationships that exist, both friendship and love, are also very well crafted, especially the unfolding of Lara and James' relationship. These two go from being friends (much on the strength of their mothers' friendship), to "enemies," to friends again when they find themselves in the role of third wheels in their closest friends' relationships, to finally settling down as a couple, something I felt was inevitable given the chemistry between them. The banter between these two is just on point, and the awkward moments that come from this age give a sense of third-party embarrassment that is so relatable ahahahah Aren't these reasons enough to read this book?
The only thing to keep in mind is that this book doesn't have a WOW plot, it ends up focusing more on character development. This is not necessarily a bad thing, I have quite a few favorites with this same basis, namely the Aristotle and Dante duology, but I feel that this aspect could have been explored differently. It has some repetitive moments that get a bit boring at times.
Basically, it's like watching a Netflix teen movie (one of my guilty pleasures, the person becomes an adult, but the child stubbornly won't go away ahahahah)! A light read with an atypical ending that may not please everyone but that I found refreshing, I recommend!
“Sometimes, growing up can mean growing apart. And sometimes growing apart means growing closer to yourself.”
Plot | ⭐⭐⭐
Characters | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ease of Read | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Quality of Writing | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall | ⭐⭐⭐,75
Although I'm not in the habit of reading YA romance (unfortunately I'm no longer part of the target audience *crying internally*), I saw this book on NetGalley and decided to give it a try. I wasn't disappointed at all!
A light, well-written book, with well-built characters who perfectly represent their age group, without being too adult or too childish. I loved following the main character, Lara, and remembering a bit what it is to be a teenager, all the challenges and confusion. It's amazing how I can relate to most of the things that happen to her, which left me with such a nice feeling of nostalgia! The relationships that exist, both friendship and love, are also very well crafted, especially the unfolding of Lara and James' relationship. These two go from being friends (much on the strength of their mothers' friendship), to "enemies," to friends again when they find themselves in the role of third wheels in their closest friends' relationships, to finally settling down as a couple, something I felt was inevitable given the chemistry between them. The banter between these two is just on point, and the awkward moments that come from this age give a sense of third-party embarrassment that is so relatable ahahahah Aren't these reasons enough to read this book?
The only thing to keep in mind is that this book doesn't have a WOW plot, it ends up focusing more on character development. This is not necessarily a bad thing, I have quite a few favorites with this same basis, namely the Aristotle and Dante duology, but I feel that this aspect could have been explored differently. It has some repetitive moments that get a bit boring at times.
Basically, it's like watching a Netflix teen movie (one of my guilty pleasures, the person becomes an adult, but the child stubbornly won't go away ahahahah)! A light read with an atypical ending that may not please everyone but that I found refreshing, I recommend!
“Sometimes, growing up can mean growing apart. And sometimes growing apart means growing closer to yourself.”
Plot | ⭐⭐⭐
Characters | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ease of Read | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Quality of Writing | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall | ⭐⭐⭐,75
July 22, 2024
Okayyy so where do we even begin with this one!?
I guess we'll start with the starting itself, it was disastrous... I'm fully aware that what I'm initiating seems ominous but bare with me here. So yes, it didn't start out well. With certain very cringe scenes, stereotypical subplots, some highly questionable teachers, (the teacher legit said that she sensed sexual tension between two students????? and further kept pestering then about their relationship status?) a couple of almost (keyword) cheating accidents and countless betrayals, everything made me want to curl into myself like a hermit.
Now the blatant question arises, why did I continue reading? Was it because of the adorable grandma dynamics or perhaps the bickering between the protagonist and the love interest... No it was because I could relate to Lara's aspirations and hopes about her future, her career and the obvious worries that come with it. We see the characters struggling with the age old dilemma of choosing professions, and wondering when one slips out of childhood into adulthood or if they ever? Further we get to meet Lara's vulnerable side, the one where her anxiety spirals, her jealousy flares and her loneliness even in her own relationship, gains sympathy from me.
The ending was mostly the only redeeming bit about the plot because never have I read a more realistic and perfect ending for a YA novel, where the characters recognise their own flaws and choose sense above all and most importantly choose their future before anything else.
I'd like to say that even though, there are many many improvement opportunities, I'd still recommend it because it's a roller coaster ride of emotions, we see genuine character improvement, a love that makes you coo at points and as I mentioned above the ending.
To conclude I want to tell you that in no way is this a bad attempt at a debut, it just belongs to someone with a different taste to savour this, infact I'd like to point out that the author is only nineteen so this is most definitely a great attempt perhaps just not for me but I'd still give her future works a try.
3.47/5✩
A big thanks to Wattpad Books & Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this book, which I voluntarily read & reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I guess we'll start with the starting itself, it was disastrous... I'm fully aware that what I'm initiating seems ominous but bare with me here. So yes, it didn't start out well. With certain very cringe scenes, stereotypical subplots, some highly questionable teachers, (the teacher legit said that she sensed sexual tension between two students????? and further kept pestering then about their relationship status?) a couple of almost (keyword) cheating accidents and countless betrayals, everything made me want to curl into myself like a hermit.
Now the blatant question arises, why did I continue reading? Was it because of the adorable grandma dynamics or perhaps the bickering between the protagonist and the love interest... No it was because I could relate to Lara's aspirations and hopes about her future, her career and the obvious worries that come with it. We see the characters struggling with the age old dilemma of choosing professions, and wondering when one slips out of childhood into adulthood or if they ever? Further we get to meet Lara's vulnerable side, the one where her anxiety spirals, her jealousy flares and her loneliness even in her own relationship, gains sympathy from me.
The ending was mostly the only redeeming bit about the plot because never have I read a more realistic and perfect ending for a YA novel, where the characters recognise their own flaws and choose sense above all and most importantly choose their future before anything else.
I'd like to say that even though, there are many many improvement opportunities, I'd still recommend it because it's a roller coaster ride of emotions, we see genuine character improvement, a love that makes you coo at points and as I mentioned above the ending.
To conclude I want to tell you that in no way is this a bad attempt at a debut, it just belongs to someone with a different taste to savour this, infact I'd like to point out that the author is only nineteen so this is most definitely a great attempt perhaps just not for me but I'd still give her future works a try.
3.47/5✩
A big thanks to Wattpad Books & Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this book, which I voluntarily read & reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 7, 2022
Full review to come, but a quick summary of my thoughts after finishing.
The drama with the cousin at the end of the novel ruined it. I get they wanted to coke back to the whole idea that they are the best third wheels, but it ruined the story and their relationship. They were better than that, he was better than that. We could see how good of a guy he was the whole novel, and then his character is shifted into this other person. It didn’t make sense. It’s sad and it mad the story about Lara finding herself and learning about love just as sad and depressing as it started. It ruined the entire novel in my opinion. The last 50-70 pages wasn’t needed it and could have been summed up with a better explation on why they still made the best third wheels.
Before any of this I was hooked, but when you hit the climax of the book and still have 100 pages left and everything is happy, you know something bad will happen. And this, ruined the book for me. It was amazing, sweet, romantic, and honestly about soul searching, discovering who you are and how to navigate relationships, and all of that was taken away in the end with a random plot line that didn’t really fit in to the story. Sure the cousin was mentioned, but to make her a vital role at the end of the novel only for the story to be summed up the way it was, wasn’t great. She wasn’t an important character and it was forced in.
Honestly, I’m really disappointed. This was going to be 4-4.5 star rating from me, but I just can’t with that ending.
The drama with the cousin at the end of the novel ruined it. I get they wanted to coke back to the whole idea that they are the best third wheels, but it ruined the story and their relationship. They were better than that, he was better than that. We could see how good of a guy he was the whole novel, and then his character is shifted into this other person. It didn’t make sense. It’s sad and it mad the story about Lara finding herself and learning about love just as sad and depressing as it started. It ruined the entire novel in my opinion. The last 50-70 pages wasn’t needed it and could have been summed up with a better explation on why they still made the best third wheels.
Before any of this I was hooked, but when you hit the climax of the book and still have 100 pages left and everything is happy, you know something bad will happen. And this, ruined the book for me. It was amazing, sweet, romantic, and honestly about soul searching, discovering who you are and how to navigate relationships, and all of that was taken away in the end with a random plot line that didn’t really fit in to the story. Sure the cousin was mentioned, but to make her a vital role at the end of the novel only for the story to be summed up the way it was, wasn’t great. She wasn’t an important character and it was forced in.
Honestly, I’m really disappointed. This was going to be 4-4.5 star rating from me, but I just can’t with that ending.
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