This book was so fun! Talia Hibbert is consistently funny in a way that feels effortless and always in tune with their characters. I wasn't sure how her writing style would translate to YA, having only read her adult works like the Brown Sisters series, but I feel safe in saying that it's a perfect fit. The narration is very off-the-cuff, rambling, and full of asides/tangents, which suits the characters' ages and mindsets. This narrative style was especially effective at conveying Brad's thought spirals. 

That was another aspect of the book I really appreciated. Brad, the male lead, has OCD. While the narrative never shies away from portraying how this effects his thought process and the way he copes with obsessive, irrational, and spiraling thoughts, mental illness is never portrayed as abject, inescapable misery. Brad is able to thrive with his OCD because he has a loving support system and got help learning to cope with it in a healthy manner. 

Also, casual discussions of therapy and normalizing therapy for men? Yes please!

I also thought Hibbert did an excellent job making his two leads complex and nuanced, both with their own emotional baggage and fears influencing how they make decisions and interact as a couple. Neither Celine nor Brad could fully commit to being in a relationship with each other until they worked out their own insecurities and projections, and I think that's important to show in any romance novel, but especially one geared toward younger readers. It's not healthy to go into a relationship assuming the other person is going to hurt you! 

And, of course, at the heart of the story is the relationship itself. Brad and Celine's banter was top tier, I loved the friends-to-enemies-lovers vibes, I loved the mutually oblivious pining. They're even childhood friends! This is basically every romance trope I love wrapped up in a shiny ribbon.