#AmReading YA

The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss
Amy Noelle Parks
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Amulet Books
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Caleb has always assumed that when she was ready for romance, Evie would choose him. Because he is her best friend, and he loves her, and he has almost kissed her 17 times...

Seventeen-year-old Evie Beckham has never been interested in dating. She's been fully occupied by her love of mathematics and her frequent battles with anxiety (and besides, she's always found the idea of kissing to be a little bit icky). But with the help of her best friend and her therapist, Evie's feeling braver. Maybe even brave enough to enter a prestigious physics competition and to say yes to the new boy who's been flirting with her.

Caleb Covic knows Evie isn't ready for romance but assumes that when she is, she will choose him. So Caleb is horrified when he is forced to witness Evie's meet cute with a floppy-haired, mathematically gifted transfer student. Because Caleb knows the girl never falls for the funny best friend when there's a mysterious stranger around, he decides to use an online forum to capture Evie's interest. Now, he's got Evie wondering if it's possible to fall in love with a boy she's never met.

Told in the alternating voices of Evie and Caleb, THE QUANTUM WEIRDNESS OF THE ALMOST KISS is a YA romantic comedy, sure to satisfy fans of Jenny Han, Rainbow Rowell and Stephanie Perkins.

Caleb and Evie have been best friends for most of their lives, and Caleb has been pining for Evie for a good part of that. When his first attempt to express his feelings went horribly wrong, Caleb decided to give Evie space until she was ready to explore more with him. Needless to say, he was blindsided when Evie begins dating someone, and that someone is not him. But Caleb was still hoping that one of his almost-kisses would actually happen. 

I must confess, I was drawn to this book because of the title. It called to the science geek in me, while also appeasing my romance loving heart. The book delivered both, as well as lots of fun, friendship, and feels. 

Early on, Caleb declared his love for Evie, and of course, I immediately adored him. He had been pining for Evie for years, and my heart broke a little for him, when she began showing interest in other boys. I respected Caleb though, because he never let it hinder his love, support, and friendship for Evie. As her lifelong friend, he understood her and her anxiety disorder, and he always seemed to know when he was needed and when he wasn't. 

Their friendship was one of my favorite things about this story. It was so solid, and the type of relationship one could only hope to experience. They definitely shared something special, and were often misunderstood by bystanders. That doesn't mean I wasn't shipping them. On the contrary, friends-to-more is one of my favorite tropes, and I was rooting and cheering for this couple the whole time. There was just something so magical about their bond, which made me want it to go to the next level. And, to be honest, I love the idea of being lucky enough to find your soulmate in kindergarten, even if you didn't know it back then. 

Some other pluses for me:

✅ So much amazing science and math!

✅ Boarding school setting

✅ Fantastic female friendship

✅ Did I mention pining? 

✅ Anxiety disorder rep

✅ STEM heroine who dominates

✅ Lots of shared history

✅ Evie's story arc

✅ Online antics

✅ Science competition 

There were many things that made this an enjoyable read for me, but the friendship and romance between Caleb and Evie was what stole my heart. I expected science and a super-cute romance, but I got so much more, including a case of the warm-fuzzies. 

The Meet-Cute Project
Rhiannon Richardson
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets Save the Date in this sweet and hijinks-filled rom-com about a teen girl who will do whatever it takes to find a date for her sister’s wedding.

Mia’s friends love rom-coms. Mia hates them. They’re silly, contrived, and not at all realistic. Besides, there are more important things to worry about—like how to handle living with her bridezilla sister, Sam, who’s never appreciated Mia, and surviving junior year juggling every school club offered and acing all of her classes.

So when Mia is tasked with finding a date to her sister’s wedding, her options are practically nonexistent.

Mia’s friends, however, have an idea. It’s a little crazy, a little out there, and a lot inspired by the movies they love that Mia begrudgingly watches too.

Mia just needs a meet-cute.

When one of the groomsmen backs out of her sister's wedding, Mia is charged with finding her own date. Easier said than done! Worried that she could not accomplish the task on her own, she enlisted the help of her besties, who were determined to arrange rom-com meet-cutes for Mia and find her the perfect date. 

Seeing one of my favorite adjectives, "cute", in the title plus the term "rom-com" had me chomping at the bit to read this book. I am happy to report it was both cute and full of great rom-com moments. I came for the romantic bits, but I must admit, I stayed for the familial love and friendship that filled these pages. 

With the wedding approaching, I spent a lot of time with Mia's family. They had an interesting dynamic, which was being disturbed by her sister's return home. It seemed Mia saw her family's meddling as intrusive, but you could tell it was all born out of love. I didn't always see it that way, but by the end, I understood their intentions better, and so did Mia. 

She also had a great group of friends, who were super determined to find her a love-match. They were very supportive of each other, as well as honest. Some of that honesty lead to a bit of a rift, but it was a nudge Mia needed to take stock and reflect on some of her choices. 

Family, friendship, a wedding, meet-cutes, and a bit of romance made this a wonderful experience for me. Extra points for the classic rom-com ending. I thought the craziness surrounding the wedding was a great way to set Mia on her path of reflection and self discovery, and I enjoyed all the nods to those classic rom-coms out there. 

Overall: This book was fun, sweet, and cute, while also having some substance. It left me smiling and filled with lots of glee. 

**ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

Do you have a favorite rom-com meet-cute?
Let us know in the comments!