Ivy League Liars

by Grace Costello

Teddy Jones is a one-upper. We grew up across the street from each other, always competing. When I got into Brown, he got into Harvard. When I dropped out early, he went on to law school. And when I ended up in a string of bad relationships, he started dating my old high school bully.

Now we’re all grown up and my sister’s getting married. Strangely enough, Teddy and Anika never dated, and now she’s marrying the perfect man and has insisted Teddy and I share the maid-of-honor duties. I’d rather stick a fork in my eye, but here we are.

So when Teddy challenges me on bringing a suitable date to Anika’s wedding, I decide it’s my turn to be the one-upper. My date is a sexy, rich, successful Yale alumni. We met on Legacy, the exclusive dating app for Ivy Leaguers, and now we’re madly in love. And he’d be perfect, if he actually existed.

That’s right, I made the guy up! Now I have to download the app and find this man before Teddy catches me in a lie.

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary, Ebooks, Contemporary Romance, Fake Dating

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2021

About the author

Grace Costello is the Adult Romantic Comedy pen name for USA Today Bestselling author Nina Walker and YA accomplice M. F. Lorson. Lorson is a library director in rural Oregon and Nina works as a full-time author living in beautiful southern Utah. They met years ago through an author network and became fast friends, always supporting each other's books and eventually deciding to venture into a new genre as writing partners. They love snarky protagonists, crazy hijinks, sexy love interests, laugh-until-you-cry comedy, and of course, happily ever afters.

Reviews

[H-e-l-e-n-a · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teddy y Emme han sido enemigos desde pequeños. Ahora de adultos, la cosa no ha mejorado mucho.

Emme necesita un novio para la boda de su hermana. Así que abre una cuenta en una app de citas exclusiva de los Ivy League (Escuelas que se consideran elitistas y selectivas), ahí conoce a un chico que le ayudará en la ardua tarea.

Teddy se pone celoso y las cosas empiezan a cambiar entre él y Emma.

La historia es divertida y rápida de leer. Teddy es un lindo.😍


📖
“Tell me to break it off with her,” he said suddenly. “Tell me right now, and I’ll send her home.”
_
“Still interested? Emme, I’m a decade in..."

[kaiya ⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a sweet romance, incredibly wholesome but with amazing romantic tension!! reading this was the first time i've ever audibly laughed at a book. 5/5, was truly a great read.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rather crazy and fun romantic comedy that I certainly can see being made into a movie! I really love the main character, Emme, and I think this quote describes her very well:

"I was a dress size fourteen and medium-curvy in the way that a lot of guys like and a lot of girls judge, but there was more to me than big boobs and a round ass––thank you very much! There was also sarcasm, bitterness, and a very small bank account!"

I appriciate that Emme (usually) is self-confident and quick to remark. At the same time she has flaws, which makes her human. And the cringeworthy situations she often finds herself in... Oh, dear lord! The scene at IKEA! The speech at the wedding! 🙈 I sometimes had to put the book down to simply close my eyes and breathe...! Does things like this happen to people in the real world?! I hope not!

If you enjoy romcom's, a sassy and snarky protagonist, and/or the enemies-to-lovers trope I'm sure you will love Ivy League Liars!

* I received an ARC from the author and I'm giving my honest review. *

[Lauren Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 🌟

This was a really fun and quick read and I really enjoyed it!! I did feel like it was lacking in certain areas but overall it was a fun read and a fun rom com to start the year off with.

[Juliet Shah · Rating 3 out of 5]

yayy my first book finsihed in 2024 and my first book read on my kindle💕
was it a good book? yes! was is a great book? definitely not. did i enjoy it though? yeah!

ok i went into reading this book knowing it wouldn’t be the most amazing spectacular book (and i have read some amazing spectacular books). it was a cute romance and i was rooting for teddy and emme the entire time. it just took soo long to get there. and don’t even get me started on emme. our main character who i think is in her mid 20s acted like she was a child. omg she was so petty and annoying sometimes. like yes sometimes it was warranted but most of the time is wasn’t. she could have been so much more mature and upfront with her feelings and worries, especially when it came to teddy.
and i feel like i was waiting and waiting for this amazing thing to happen and i wasn’t satisfied.
i do love teddy though!! he is mature, hot, knows what he wants, smart, great personality. love him!
it was a cute book and i loved the whole fake dating, childhood friends to lovers, finding yourself idea but my girl emme was so insecure the entire book so i’m glad she kind of found herself in the end? idk i probably wouldn’t recommend to anyone but not a bad read at all!!

OH one thing. emme said that she would buy her sister chai tea whenever she wanted.
chai means tea. it should just be chai, not chai tea. that sentence hurt me.

[Kelsey Lanfair · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 - super cute romcom with a couple twists thrown in. A quick feel good read

[Adalyn Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️ gosh childhood enemies to lovers might just be one of my favorite tropes. got this book for free on kindle and loved it!

[Bri Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet but superficial romcom, probably not A-lister actors if it were to be made into a movie, more like a day time tv movie on after Oprah or Dr Phil.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

[Naoise Finnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed a simple book but she was kinda a pick me

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great read!

Emme was such a lovable, relatable character with sass, pizazz, and a wit that had me laughing out loud. The background characters were hilarious and their interactions were genuine. Ivy League Liars is the perfect blend of romance, comedy and heartfelt moments, and I know already, this is going to be a book I come back to again and again!

[Sammantha]

This book took me like a month to read - it was cute and def corny but the character was not annoying

[Courtney Delgado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relatable Characters & Trope Subversion Yields Refreshing Fun

Ivy League Liars is a solid 4.5 star read. The author team, Grace Costello, embraces the romantic comedy norm, but sidesteps just enough to invigorate a classic genre. The book avoids the usual stereotypes and plot devices common when including diverse characters, yet still manages to include the expected rom-com hijinks and drama on the way to happily, ever after. And while the standard tropes make an appearance, most are downplayed or twisted just enough to stay interesting.

 

From the older sibling’s best friend to enemies to lovers, having a “Man of Honor”, dating app. and jealousy-inducing fake dates, this book is a tropey haven. But what I really enjoyed is how the tropes are unexpectedly crafted together to create a unique love story for main character, Emme. The authors have also made their main characters a varied group of body types, race, and age. It creates diversity that is sometimes lacking in the rom-com world. Examples include Teddy being a person of color, and Emme a curvy woman. More enjoyably, the diversity is just part of who they are, it influences the characters but is not the main source of conflict for the story. I also like that even though this is a comedic, contemporary romance, Emme’s journey is not just towards a man, but true growth of her own character.

 

For those looking for warnings, I really don’t have any. The romantic tension is great, but this is a clean read with no on-page spiciness. The story does include the legal consumption of alcohol at parties and some normal rom-com silliness. The writing is enjoyable, transitions seamlessly between the author team, and has good editing. The only criticism I can offer, is that I would have enjoyed learning a little more about Teddy, fully fleshing out his character.

I absolutely want to read more from this author!

[Taryn Marwick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very easy read took me all of 5 hours. Super light and lovely its unclear to me who she will end up with. I sorta think teddy event though he does not make her feel good about herself which we don’t love. Percy will be a slow burn so we shall see. Additionally, I didn’t love the nagging reminders about her being a plus sized girl. Had she been standard size there would be like one line about her shape and that would be it but it felt like we were constantly justifying her body which felt kind of yuck tbh. I would forget about it and then it would thrown in my face again … also her sister just sucks. Totally looks down on her, doesn’t stand up for her in any meaningful way and subjects her to maid of honour tasks without the proper title. Alright we all saw the teddy and her falling in love comming right?! twas a beacon in the night sky at the lake if you ask me. I think her friend was kinda an weird add on character that did really add much. I dont love how the resolution in the story was essentially she viewed her entire life wrong and just moves on. The kiss felt strangely placed and then was follow by the biggest falling out which is again strange.
Percy is a creep guys and a fibber. I hate that she doesn't speak with teddy about dating a girl who bullied the crap out of her. Like how could you be with someone like that, and she wasn’t hiding it you know? Okay okay things i did enjoy. Brunch brunch was great how the secrets come out in the speech. Rodger and Anika when Rodger calms her down about it raining.
We could have done so much more here with the bones of this book. There were a crazy amount of plot holes and lacked a lot of character development there were points that hade me feeling soft and mushy though which I think is the point of a read like this.

[Nas S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Emme who is sometimes a hot mess and mostly the family black sheep.
For her sister’s wedding she’s forced to share maid of honor duties with Teddy who’s been her frenemy since they were children.

The whole story kicks off when Emme receives her wedding invite and realizes there’s no plus one so she calls her sister Aneka and in the heat of the moment makes up a boyfriend.

The lie deepens when Teddy and Aneka question Emme about her mystery boyfriend and she’s forced to say he graduated Yale and they met on Legacy the dating app for Ivy Leaguers. Cue the best friend Hope who gets recruited to help Emme find a man that fits that description.

This book was not my typical read but I really enjoyed the change of pace. Once I started reading I basically couldn’t put the book down.

It was too easy to get sucked in by all the drama as well as the emotional rollercoaster that is Emme’s work and (predominantly) love life.

I really loved Emme as the MFC, she’s curvy, sassy and has a heart of gold (even towards people that don’t deserve it…Caroline I’m looking at you!). At one point in the book she reflects on her career in comparison to the metamorphosis of a butterfly and that’s a bit how I view the story; it’s Emme’s evolution in love, career and truly embracing who she is on the inside and out.

Teddy, the MMC. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. He fits the gay BFF stereotype while being completely straight. He’s arrogant and pretentious while being drop dead gorgeous (tall, chiseled and bronze skinned). I really liked that he was POC (from a mixed race background). I kinda wanted more from him. For a lawyer he could have articulated himself better which left me frustrated.
All in all, this book was fun quick read! There’s plenty of humor, drama and also some twists even I didn’t see coming.

I was lucky enough to get and ARC copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Kassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect palate cleanser for me! I needed this. I kept imagining watching this on tv and wishing it could be made into a movie. Emme and Teddy were perfect enemies to lovers. Emme's life has always been less than perfect. She can never get what she really wants out of life and seemingly keeps disappointing those around her. She can never get it just right for others. So, when her sister is getting married and her invite excludes her "plus one", Emme makes up an entire fairytale story of an Ivy League boyfriend, exactly what she thinks others want for her. But now, she has to make that fairlytale a reality just to prove it...and she finds a fake boyfriend. In the meantime, she's partnered with arch-nemesis Teddy, her sister's childhood best friend, and forced to share maid-of-honor duties with him. As they continue to work side-by-side, reality comes crashing down on Emme. Is what she's been seeking what she really wants? Is Teddy jealous of her fake boyfriend? Is there more than meets the eye? Emme and Teddy both navigate their feelings and their lives. Emma really has to come to terms with what she thought others wanted of her, and what she really wants for herself. And is there more to her fake boyfriend than what she bargained for? I really loved all the characters. Percy (surprise) was an absolute favorite of mine! Teddy really pushes Emme, but I think both really explore themselves throughout their struggles. The epilogue really sealed the deal for me, and I still wish there was more. I truly cried for Emme in so many places, and I really wanted to yell at Teddy too! They were more than characters on a page for me, they were real people...and they just needed a little help. Fantastic read!

[sammi_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun and cute read! I'm surprised it doesn't have more reviews yet, but it's an adorable romcom.

Emme and Teddy have always been rivals with one thing in common- Emme's sister and Teddy's platonic best friend, Anika. The two are set to share maid of honor duties for her upcoming wedding. Emme has always felt looked down on by her Ivy League family after dropping out of Brown. In a last-ditch effort to gain respect, she lies and says her (nonexistent)Yale boyfriend would be her plus one for the wedding. Teddy seems to know something is off and he and Emme continue to be shoved together....

This is exactly the book you think it will be reading the description, but that is more than okay because it sounds perfect for any romcom lover. Fake dating, a sister wedding, frenemies to lovers... Troupes fans of the genre love to see! Author Grace Coatello did an excellent job with the humor, romantic sparks and pacing.

Emme was a fun and relatable narrator. Her feelings about being less than, her sense of humor and her need for a change (personaland professional). You root for Emme, she felt like someone you knew (mostly because she had too good of fashion sense to be me). Her ability to make an awkward situation even worse was cringe-worthy at times, but so enjoyable to read. Teddy was a more standard male lead, but his cockiness made him a great rival, even if his beginning taste in women was questionable. Percy was just hysterical.

Highly encourage this for any fan of wedding romcoms. 27 Dresses, Wedding Season, My Best Friend's Wedding, the Secret Bridesmaid and Wedding Ringer- just so many books and movies in this genre and I feel like loving one leads to loving all. This will not disappoint.

[marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You dont need to chase a career that doesn't make you happy"

Reading this felt like I was reading a story about a friend, but also about myself. The characters were so well portrayed with how they interacted with eachother and their actions based on how they interpreted a situation. It was such a real, raw story of flawed humans.

I so deeply resonated with Emme. As college drop out pursuing graphic design with a part time job to pay the bills, in a family of a math major mother, medical engineer father and a younger brother who will have a degree in chemistry in a few years, I know how it feels to want to make your family proud, waiting for the day that they will FINALLY understand what you have to offer to the world, even if it is not in the way they are used to.

"I didn't realise then that your gift wasn't so much wielding a curling iron as it was understanding how to make beautiful things"

Aside from this, I won't lie the plot twist of Percy's age completely blindsided me. I don't know how I didn't expected it but, due to reading so much fantasy recently, I think I just assumed he would be something of an evil mastermind, based on how Teddy was acting toward him. Like my jaw literally dropped when the reality of the situation was exposed, it was somehow the LAST thing I was expecting.

This is a very endearing story of sisterly love, discovering your passions, and true feelings being revealed (albeit painfully slowly, but we got there in the end). I loved the banter between all of the characters, and it felt refreshing to see people in a book that weren't 100% perfect and acted selfishly at times because of it, but also acted in love, even if it wasn't apparent to them at the time.

[Nadine Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good read, not an amazing, but a good one one.
Single p.o.v
Clean... only a little kissing
Well written... the armoire scene and the speech... where you can feel the embarrassment building... I had to put the book down... so cringe 😳
I would have liked if Teddy was more fleshed out and in the book more.
The bit that really bothered me...
I also was not keen on how little Emmes family and Teddy seemed to understand why she acted as she did at the end. Teddy told her she was playing the victim. Emme was bullied for her size in her youth, and her sister makes a comment about her eating too many carbs. No one seems to recognise this or how it may have impacted her. They don't understand why she feels they look down on her... her parents wouldn't pay for the education she wanted, only the one they wanted. Her sister makes comments about past boyfriends, who were all plonkers, uses the excuse she didn't want Emme to embarrass herself by having a plus one. Teddy, at the end, does admit to being a jerk and understanding. I feel hard done by for Emme, yes she lied and acted imaturely, but would she have done this if she had felt secure and supported by her family? I feel she acted this way to protect herself.

[Dee’s Paiges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ivy League Liars - Grace Costello
My review:
It did take me a little while to get into the throws of this book but once I was in, I was really in.
It centres around Emme, who is so desperate to not be the family failure and only one without an Ivy League partner, she seeks the help of her best friend to secure a date for her sisters up coming wedding. After joining a dating app, Legacy, only for Ivy League graduates, she finds someone very unexpected.
I did like the concept of this book, and I thought the idea was well executed. Did I feel like it was slightly predictable once the storyline was established? Yes. It was still an exciting read though and I found it enjoyable.


If you love:
💭Fake romances
💭Enemies to lovers
💭Family drama
💭Slow burn romance


Genre/Style: Enemies to lovers romance
Formats: Physical/ e-reader
Pages: 302
Audiobook:
Series or Stand Alone: stand alone
Themes/ Tropes: enemies to lovers, dating app romance, New York, cabin in the woods, lakeside, wedding, family drama, slow burn romance.
Triggers: none that stand out
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 🌶️

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did it take me half the book before I realized this is a retelling of Much Ado About Nothing.

I thought this book was cute and fun, but Emme and Teddy drove me crazy sometimes. Some things they did made me want to pull my hair out in frustration because who would be that stupid in real life, ya know? The miscommunication trope drove me up a wall, and (hot take) I hate the one-bed trope, especially in this book because at that point in the story they each are dating different people. The twist with Percy was also pretty unbelievable because I don’t really think that’s plausible in real life. Also, the subplot with Caroline is never really explained in a way that addresses the plot holes. If Teddy and Emme really had known each other so long, then how would he not have known that Caroline was a bully? Even if Emme didn’t tell Teddy herself, Anika would’ve told Teddy.

However, the tone was light and fun and the story was cute.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read. I had been in a bit of a reading slump and looking for something to get me out of it and this was just the book! I felt like I was flying through the book and enjoying it! Not flipping ahead to see how many pages were left in the chapter like I’ve been finding myself doing lately. Ivy League Liars is a sweet and lighthearted frenemies to lovers story with a main character I really found myself resonating with. I also love the diversity in this book, not only is the lead a curvy woman, but her love interest is a man of color. I feel like too often you can find maybe a handful of romance novels that have one or the other, and I love that this one has both. I also loved that this was a sweet love story and not all about the sex the main characters are having. 10/10!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, as per the usual with this author. I did feel like I’ve read this story a thousand times so I can’t say that the plot was all that original, but I still enjoyed the characters and the story. There was one scene in IKEA which drove me crazy! I am not a fan of completely irrational thought and behavior. Without giving too much away, the main character hid instead of just walking away. I could not stop rolling my eyes. I completely understand this was for the story cuz what kind of a story would being realistic and just walking away have been? I get it. It was still not my favorite part of the book.

In any case, It engaged me right away and kept me interested and I finished it in one day!

Looking forward to many more from this author!

[nat _lovestoread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love it!!! 🥰

What do you do when you perfect Ivy Leaguer sister is marrying her perfect Ivy Leaguer boyfriend and she told you her perfect Ivy Leaguer best friend will share the maid of honor duty with you?.... you lie 😓
You lie because after dropping out undergrad and some fiasco relationships, they can't know you haven't figure your life out and you haven't found the "perfect" boyfriend they expect you to have 😔
But, what if everything you thought is not what it seems and the guy you hate and you think hates you, does not? 🤔
Gaaahhh!!!... I enjoy this book so much, my heart hurt for Emme, I cried and laugh and did a happy dance when they finally... you will have to read the book to find out, go get your copy now!!! 🤗😍❤

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute little story. I loved the strong female lead and her confidence in herself but I loved even more that she realized she still had a lot of growth to do. It’s a great message to love who we are but never cease to strive for perfection when we recognize a weak spot. It had a lot of feels. It didn’t go the direction I immediately thought it would so that was nice. It had some hot guys that you could imagine but it was also a clean romance so that is huge for me. Gave me all the feels without the smut. Good job. I look forward to watching this author grow as well as she continues writing.

[Abbie Riddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you pick up a book on a whim and decide to give it a try - and actually love it!

Enemies to lovers. Childhood friends. Sibling's best-friend/best-friend's little sister. Fake relationships. Dating disasters. Snarky, funny MFC. Discovered love. The pitfalls of online dating. Old enemies. Family drama and relationships. Finding ones self.

This book had me laughing out loud at the antics of Emme!! And when she discovers the truth about her fake boyfriend - I almost died with laughter.

This is the perfect weekend read. I read it in one day. Absolutely a book to be enjoyed!!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good quick read, but very hard to get through. The best way I can describe the writing and narrative is millennial, pick me, wattpad, and a bit cringey. The main character was generally kind of unlikeable for most of the book. She is also a horrible sister in my opinion - coming from a little sister perspective. The last 10% was decent, I was happy with the ending. For a romcom, it also wasn’t very funny (cue more the millennial humor style writing), although I did get a good chuckle from one of the “twists.”

Tropes:
Childhood friend to lover
Enemies to lover
Fake Dating
One bed

[Courtney Isom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I love how well this author writes the male love interests that make you want to hate them until you realize you love them as much as the main character does! And I personally feel like I can relate so much to the main character Emme where she constantly feels like she has to prove herself to her family. I dont normally go for romantic comedies when picking books but I'm so glad I found this one because it made me laugh and gave me all the warm fuzzies!

[Jessica Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read!! I adore the MC and her snarky attitude. And the male interest is infuriating and sweet all at once. It’s the perfect romcom in my opinion. Oh there are definitely cringe worthy moments but there are also some heart pounding, butterfly inducing ones as well. There was one minor plot twist that I did not see coming but it added to the hilarity of the story. Anyway, if you want a cute love story to read and thoroughly enjoy then look not further! You won’t regret it!

[Kimberly Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book😍 the moment I started I didn’t wanna stop reading. I was soo involved in the story and the characters that my husband tried talking to me and told him to go away because I needed to keep reading lol. It was such a cute frenemies story and the attitude of the main character, I adored her. I highly recommend this book !! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️