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Begin Again
As usual, Andie Rose has a plan: Transfer from community college to the hyper competitive Blue Ridge State, major in psychology, and maintain her lifelong goal of becoming an iconic self-help figure despite the nerves that have recently thrown her for a loop. All it will take is ruthless organization, hard work, and her trademark unrelenting enthusiasm to pull it all together.
But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack at a time.
But sometimes, when all your plans are in rubble at your feet, you find out what you’re made of. And when Andie starts to find the power of her voice as the anonymous Squire on the school’s legendary pirate radio station–the same one her mom founded, years before she passed away–Andie learns that not all the best laid plans are necessarily the right ones.
Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Begin Again is an unforgettable novel of love and starting again.
But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack at a time.
But sometimes, when all your plans are in rubble at your feet, you find out what you’re made of. And when Andie starts to find the power of her voice as the anonymous Squire on the school’s legendary pirate radio station–the same one her mom founded, years before she passed away–Andie learns that not all the best laid plans are necessarily the right ones.
Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Begin Again is an unforgettable novel of love and starting again.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 24, 2023
About the author
Emma Lord
9 books3,988 followersEmma Lord is the NYT bestselling author of YOU HAVE A MATCH and TWEET CUTE, a BuzzFeed market editor, and dessert gremlin living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, a whole lot of love, and copious amounts of grilled cheese.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,737 reviews
September 14, 2023
Each Emma Lord book is cure for all of your troubles, sadnesses, pains, dark moods! Their promising, heartfelt plots provide pure happiness, joy, positive energy! You get healed after reading a few chapters!
I think I loved this book more than her previous works! I enjoyed to read the fresh perspective to the college life! There were no regular cliches in this book. Characters are flawed, making mistakes, dealing with their own baggages and all of them are so much likable.
Ribbon scavenger hunts, trivia nights, vampire games, pirate radio station honoring the new host a.k.a new Knight, snow fights, dreamy bagel combinations��I loved each of them! I just wished to teleport to the past to enjoy this kind of fabulous college experience!
Andie is high achiever heroine, a fixer who focuses other people’s problem : she has an anonymous column giving advises to people to solve their problems. But this is a kind of mechanism to avoid her own problems: her resentment to her father, her yearning for mother, her rocky relationship with her boyfriend.
She worked hard and transferred to the college her parents graduated! The same college her boyfriend Connor attends: lately they get estranged because of long distance but now they can have their fresh start! Or not! Because Connor also gets transferred to the community college at their hometown where Andie previously attended!
This setback cannot break Andie’s enthusiasm to compete at scavenger hunts to collect more ribbons, honoring her mothers memory. She believes Connor will be back at next semester so she collects extra ribbons for him, too.
Her suspicions and insecurities to be part of the Blue Ridge community slowly diminish with the help of very supportive roommate Shay and their caffeine addict, charming RA Milo.
She even finds herself at college’s legendary pirate radio station accompanying legendary Knight as his squire: giving advises to the students who ask for her help!
Andie’s self growth, finding her true purpose, true love, making peace with her past are the best parts of the book.
Milo was spectacular hero! I have to admit at some parts I even loved him more than Andie! He was kind, mature, loyal, smart, playful.
I smiled and I also dabbed my tears! The book is genuine, heartwarming! I wanted to give long hugs to each character!
I highly absolutely extremely recommend it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
I think I loved this book more than her previous works! I enjoyed to read the fresh perspective to the college life! There were no regular cliches in this book. Characters are flawed, making mistakes, dealing with their own baggages and all of them are so much likable.
Ribbon scavenger hunts, trivia nights, vampire games, pirate radio station honoring the new host a.k.a new Knight, snow fights, dreamy bagel combinations��I loved each of them! I just wished to teleport to the past to enjoy this kind of fabulous college experience!
Andie is high achiever heroine, a fixer who focuses other people’s problem : she has an anonymous column giving advises to people to solve their problems. But this is a kind of mechanism to avoid her own problems: her resentment to her father, her yearning for mother, her rocky relationship with her boyfriend.
She worked hard and transferred to the college her parents graduated! The same college her boyfriend Connor attends: lately they get estranged because of long distance but now they can have their fresh start! Or not! Because Connor also gets transferred to the community college at their hometown where Andie previously attended!
This setback cannot break Andie’s enthusiasm to compete at scavenger hunts to collect more ribbons, honoring her mothers memory. She believes Connor will be back at next semester so she collects extra ribbons for him, too.
Her suspicions and insecurities to be part of the Blue Ridge community slowly diminish with the help of very supportive roommate Shay and their caffeine addict, charming RA Milo.
She even finds herself at college’s legendary pirate radio station accompanying legendary Knight as his squire: giving advises to the students who ask for her help!
Andie’s self growth, finding her true purpose, true love, making peace with her past are the best parts of the book.
Milo was spectacular hero! I have to admit at some parts I even loved him more than Andie! He was kind, mature, loyal, smart, playful.
I smiled and I also dabbed my tears! The book is genuine, heartwarming! I wanted to give long hugs to each character!
I highly absolutely extremely recommend it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
September 21, 2024
Emma Lord and I have a special relationship. It's like she sees me, she gets me, she channels what interests me into her stories. Every time I pick up one of her books, my heart is filled to the brim with love.
Okay, I'm not delusional. I know we don't actually have a special relationship, but I definitely connect with her stories in a remarkable way; one that stands out to me amongst the many books I read.
For her latest release, Begin Again, I'll be honest, I didn't read the synopsis. I don't really care what it is about, if her name is on the cover, I'm picking it up.
I went into this blind and was absolutely delighted with how this story began to unfold. Something completely wild happens in our protagonist's life right off the bat. I was shocked and laughed, is this what this book is about?
This story follows Andie, who is navigating her first year post-high school. After spending her first semester at a local community college, remaining at home with her grandmothers, Andie has recently transferred to the college of her dreams.
Blue Ridge State is 2-hours from Andie's home and once she is there, she quickly realizes that she is on her own for the very first time. Honestly, the wide-open freedom is jarring and a bit overwhelming.
Andie is a girl who always has a plan and right from the start her plans for her time at Blue Ridge don't go as she anticipated. Her long-term boyfriend, Connor, who attended Blue Ridge first semester actually transferred to Andie's old community college to surprise her.
She transferred to Blue Ridge with the hopes of surprising him. Huge whoopsie!
That enormous flub really sets the stage for Andie's first term. She's sort of thrown for a loop, but she isn't someone who gives in easily. She slowly starts to build her own life; establish her independence.
Andie finds a group of friends, passions to pursue and a boy who is super kind and shares her interests. Blue Ridge is beginning to feel like home.
Life isn't always smooth sailing though, as we all know and before too long the stress-monster is rearing his ugly head.
Connor is trying to maintain his presence in Andie's life and she has mixed feelings about the status of their relationship. Then some startling secrets are revealed and of course, there's some family drama happening that Andie can no longer ignore.
It's a lot for her to try to navigate successfully. She's sort of torn between the person she was and the person she has the potential to become. I became super invested in Andie's life and all the issues swirling around her.
This story is set in that pivotal time of life when you are transitioning from high school, living with your family, to adulthood, living on your own. It's that sweet spot where the building blocks of your future really begin to solidify.
Andie had some trauma in her family. She lost her mother when she was younger and her father skipped out a bit after that. It was a very impactful experience in her life.
As you would expect, Andie brings that into college with her. Her relationship with her father is still strained, even though he is making an effort, she's not entirely sure she's ready to forgive him just yet.
I love how Lord's stories always include the complexity of family life. Families are just that, they're complicated. Even the ones that appear perfect, there's always something there; some issue or issues that can be explored.
Andie being on her own for the first time was also so compelling. She was on quite a journey of self-discovery, even if she was the last one to realize it.
Emma Lord brings so much love to her stories. You can tell she writes with care. She cares about her characters and how the issues are presented. While the stories overall have a feel-good tone, there are always deeper meanings and connections to be made.
I connected particularly well with this story. I'm not entirely sure what it was, but I developed such empathy for Andie. Additionally, the friend group, the found family feel, really touched me and the ending was completely satisfying.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
While I figured I would love this story, I had no idea how much I would LOVE this story. I cannot wait to see what Emma Lord gifts us with next!!
Okay, I'm not delusional. I know we don't actually have a special relationship, but I definitely connect with her stories in a remarkable way; one that stands out to me amongst the many books I read.
For her latest release, Begin Again, I'll be honest, I didn't read the synopsis. I don't really care what it is about, if her name is on the cover, I'm picking it up.
I went into this blind and was absolutely delighted with how this story began to unfold. Something completely wild happens in our protagonist's life right off the bat. I was shocked and laughed, is this what this book is about?
This story follows Andie, who is navigating her first year post-high school. After spending her first semester at a local community college, remaining at home with her grandmothers, Andie has recently transferred to the college of her dreams.
Blue Ridge State is 2-hours from Andie's home and once she is there, she quickly realizes that she is on her own for the very first time. Honestly, the wide-open freedom is jarring and a bit overwhelming.
Andie is a girl who always has a plan and right from the start her plans for her time at Blue Ridge don't go as she anticipated. Her long-term boyfriend, Connor, who attended Blue Ridge first semester actually transferred to Andie's old community college to surprise her.
She transferred to Blue Ridge with the hopes of surprising him. Huge whoopsie!
That enormous flub really sets the stage for Andie's first term. She's sort of thrown for a loop, but she isn't someone who gives in easily. She slowly starts to build her own life; establish her independence.
Andie finds a group of friends, passions to pursue and a boy who is super kind and shares her interests. Blue Ridge is beginning to feel like home.
Life isn't always smooth sailing though, as we all know and before too long the stress-monster is rearing his ugly head.
Connor is trying to maintain his presence in Andie's life and she has mixed feelings about the status of their relationship. Then some startling secrets are revealed and of course, there's some family drama happening that Andie can no longer ignore.
It's a lot for her to try to navigate successfully. She's sort of torn between the person she was and the person she has the potential to become. I became super invested in Andie's life and all the issues swirling around her.
This story is set in that pivotal time of life when you are transitioning from high school, living with your family, to adulthood, living on your own. It's that sweet spot where the building blocks of your future really begin to solidify.
Andie had some trauma in her family. She lost her mother when she was younger and her father skipped out a bit after that. It was a very impactful experience in her life.
As you would expect, Andie brings that into college with her. Her relationship with her father is still strained, even though he is making an effort, she's not entirely sure she's ready to forgive him just yet.
I love how Lord's stories always include the complexity of family life. Families are just that, they're complicated. Even the ones that appear perfect, there's always something there; some issue or issues that can be explored.
Andie being on her own for the first time was also so compelling. She was on quite a journey of self-discovery, even if she was the last one to realize it.
Emma Lord brings so much love to her stories. You can tell she writes with care. She cares about her characters and how the issues are presented. While the stories overall have a feel-good tone, there are always deeper meanings and connections to be made.
I connected particularly well with this story. I'm not entirely sure what it was, but I developed such empathy for Andie. Additionally, the friend group, the found family feel, really touched me and the ending was completely satisfying.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
While I figured I would love this story, I had no idea how much I would LOVE this story. I cannot wait to see what Emma Lord gifts us with next!!
August 19, 2022
this is cute and full of that EL charm that i have come to know and adore. this is book #4 for EL and she has come to proven herself as a reliable and consistent creator of warm YA stories that are full of heart and personality.
and this one has every page filled with new college adventures, making the most of dorm living, creating a found family, finding new hobbies, personal growth and forgiving the past. so much good content wrapped up in a fun story.
however, this book commits one of my greatest pet-peeves when it comes to characterisation and thats when a MC uses “cute” language as a substitute for swearing. in this case, andie uses her favourite food. and let me tell you what - its obnoxious. i didnt find it endearing or quirky, i actually found it really lame. lol.
but beyond those eye rolls, this actually is a really sweet story and a great addition to ELs bibliography!
thank you, st. martins press/wednesday books, for the ARC!!
↠ 3.5 stars
and this one has every page filled with new college adventures, making the most of dorm living, creating a found family, finding new hobbies, personal growth and forgiving the past. so much good content wrapped up in a fun story.
however, this book commits one of my greatest pet-peeves when it comes to characterisation and thats when a MC uses “cute” language as a substitute for swearing. in this case, andie uses her favourite food. and let me tell you what - its obnoxious. i didnt find it endearing or quirky, i actually found it really lame. lol.
but beyond those eye rolls, this actually is a really sweet story and a great addition to ELs bibliography!
thank you, st. martins press/wednesday books, for the ARC!!
↠ 3.5 stars
May 17, 2023
Hello! It’s your friendly Goodreads reviewer here. Do you like:
✔️ Coming-of-Age, self-discovery journeys
✔️ Two delightfully charming grannies
✔️ YA romance that will put a cheesy grin on your face
✔️ Comfortably predictable plot, perfect for escaping the stress of your own life
✔️ Exploring deep content while keeping an overall light tone
Then Begin Again is for you! I had a wonderful experience listening to this one; it was the perfect audiobook to put on while doing things around the house that are typically boring, but necessary, because it gave me something to look forward to while doing them. The narrator, Georgina Saddler, has the perfect voice to embody the characters, and her clean, crisp tone soothed me each time I cranked up my copy. If you’re looking for a story that has heart and emotion, but is overall uplifting, give this one a try!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
✔️ Coming-of-Age, self-discovery journeys
✔️ Two delightfully charming grannies
✔️ YA romance that will put a cheesy grin on your face
✔️ Comfortably predictable plot, perfect for escaping the stress of your own life
✔️ Exploring deep content while keeping an overall light tone
Then Begin Again is for you! I had a wonderful experience listening to this one; it was the perfect audiobook to put on while doing things around the house that are typically boring, but necessary, because it gave me something to look forward to while doing them. The narrator, Georgina Saddler, has the perfect voice to embody the characters, and her clean, crisp tone soothed me each time I cranked up my copy. If you’re looking for a story that has heart and emotion, but is overall uplifting, give this one a try!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
December 27, 2023
✨On a Wednesday in a cafe I was like GIRL DUMP HIM for your RA✨
~ I was also like omg please just cheat already 😭 (they didn’t but my conscience would’ve been clean if they had 💅**) ~
YA is my comfort genre because of books like these. Milo was so cute I want to dunk him in my coffee. I loved the semi-forbidden RA vibes. I REALLY loved her found friend group and they really made the book all warm and cozy. Andie had her flaws and blind spots, but I really loved her as a main character.
She was a mess (same) and this book kissed the line of emotional cheating but the correct vibes and teenage drama were there so I can’t complain. Her boyfriend lasted too long for comfort in my book, but it was nice to see her shift away from him and grow. I was also hoping that it would end like it did because I love a saucy bit of drama.
I think I wanted a bit more from Andie and Milo at the end, because it was SO slow burn. This is usually the case in YA, as most times they don’t get together at all until the end, unlike adult where they’re smoochin all over the place (at least the romance I like to read).
Overall, Taylor Swift is strong in this one. I highlighted multiple song titles and need to reread because I’ll inevitably pick out more. I’m a big fan of Emma’s writing and I’m so thrilled that I really liked this one. My college experience was pretty different than Andie’s, which is both good and bad. Good because I never had to take stats. Bad because I never met a Milo. Now that I think of it, the no stats thing is worth a lot.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
**sometimes it works like you KNOW I wanted them to get in AWN in Leap Year…I am who I am and what I am is a hypocrite, yes, but it’s fine
Thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions are honest and my own.
CWs: parent death (mother)(cancer), parent death (father)(car accident), cheating, failing tests (I didn’t know this was triggering until I got way too stressed about her grades omg)
~ I was also like omg please just cheat already 😭 (they didn’t but my conscience would’ve been clean if they had 💅**) ~
YA is my comfort genre because of books like these. Milo was so cute I want to dunk him in my coffee. I loved the semi-forbidden RA vibes. I REALLY loved her found friend group and they really made the book all warm and cozy. Andie had her flaws and blind spots, but I really loved her as a main character.
She was a mess (same) and this book kissed the line of emotional cheating but the correct vibes and teenage drama were there so I can’t complain. Her boyfriend lasted too long for comfort in my book, but it was nice to see her shift away from him and grow. I was also hoping that it would end like it did because I love a saucy bit of drama.
I think I wanted a bit more from Andie and Milo at the end, because it was SO slow burn. This is usually the case in YA, as most times they don’t get together at all until the end, unlike adult where they’re smoochin all over the place (at least the romance I like to read).
Overall, Taylor Swift is strong in this one. I highlighted multiple song titles and need to reread because I’ll inevitably pick out more. I’m a big fan of Emma’s writing and I’m so thrilled that I really liked this one. My college experience was pretty different than Andie’s, which is both good and bad. Good because I never had to take stats. Bad because I never met a Milo. Now that I think of it, the no stats thing is worth a lot.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
**sometimes it works like you KNOW I wanted them to get in AWN in Leap Year…I am who I am and what I am is a hypocrite, yes, but it’s fine
Thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions are honest and my own.
CWs: parent death (mother)(cancer), parent death (father)(car accident), cheating, failing tests (I didn’t know this was triggering until I got way too stressed about her grades omg)
February 8, 2024
Bardziej 3,5/5
Troszkę przydługa i za mało dynamiczna, ale to wciąż Emma Lord ♥️
Troszkę przydługa i za mało dynamiczna, ale to wciąż Emma Lord ♥️
Want to read
January 3, 2023i keep getting begin again by taylor swift stuck in my head whenever i see this title
Want to read
May 13, 2022"and on a wednesday, in a café, i watched it..."
February 6, 2024
To będzie moja ulubiona Emma Lord… also, w książce jest bookstagramerka.
Can you imagine?
Can you imagine?
January 25, 2023
Andie Rose transferred from her community college to Blue Ridge State to major in Psychology. Her boyfriend, Connor goes there, and she views it as a chance to repair their rocky relationship. She was hoping to surprise him with her arrival but was the one getting surprised when Connor called her to inform her that he had transferred to her community college to be with her. Woops!
But Andie makes the best of it with her I-haven't-declared-a- major-yet roommate, Shay and her constantly drinking coffee RA, Milo. Andie also finds her voice at the college's pirate radio station.
Going away to college and making friends is a rite of passage for some. You have your family and then you have your family of friends who see you at your worst and best. You try new things, meet new people, and learn more about yourself.
This was an engaging book about finding yourself, finding your family, finding your community, beginning again, and personal growth. I enjoyed Andie, her grandmothers, her group of friends and of course, Milo.
This was a great YA romance book that was equal parts charming and engaging. It’s all about the journey and I enjoyed the journey that several characters in this book went on.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
But Andie makes the best of it with her I-haven't-declared-a- major-yet roommate, Shay and her constantly drinking coffee RA, Milo. Andie also finds her voice at the college's pirate radio station.
Going away to college and making friends is a rite of passage for some. You have your family and then you have your family of friends who see you at your worst and best. You try new things, meet new people, and learn more about yourself.
This was an engaging book about finding yourself, finding your family, finding your community, beginning again, and personal growth. I enjoyed Andie, her grandmothers, her group of friends and of course, Milo.
This was a great YA romance book that was equal parts charming and engaging. It’s all about the journey and I enjoyed the journey that several characters in this book went on.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
February 19, 2023
I mean, the cutest. ✨
Emma Lord, please consider this review my petition to be your best friend. Like, I follow you on social media and I think we would have a great time baking brownies made with five different types of Oreos while belting out Taylor Swift lyrics at the top of our lungs. Hit me up.
Honestly, the reason I love Emma’s books so much (and actually go back to reading YA for her when that’s not really my jam anymore) is that reading them feels like sipping on hot chocolate wearing your coziest pajamas while Taylor Swift plays in the background (I feel a recurrence of Taylor Swift on this review but I’m just rolling with it – the book is called Begin Again, after all *wink wink*).
Her writing is so colorful and whimsical, and her heroines genuinely feel like your best friends who are so funny and quick and smart and fun and also just need a hug and a word of advice.
This is the story of Andie, who dreamed of attending the college her parents went to but didn’t get in on the first try, unlike her jock boyfriend, Connor. Mid freshman year, she finally earns a spot and transfers in secret so Connor will be surprised. Except, once she gets there, she finds out he did the same thing – transferred to the community college she had been attending to surprise her.
Things are clearly not off to a great start, but Andie will not be deterred. As she’s wont to do, she starts to do the thing she’s best at – fixing other people’s problems. She decides to help her new roommate Shay find a major, help her new (very cute) sleep deprived RA Milo lay off his coffee addiction, help her boyfriend get into one of the school’s secret societies once he manages to transfer back by collecting enough ribbons for him (since having enough ribbons is the only way to enter into the societies and he’s obviously not there to do it himself), and on it goes.
While all of that is happening, we also get to know about Andie’s mom who passed away and her dad who pretty much checked out when she needed him most. A teenager making sense of a very complex family dynamic is an Emma Lord staple which has kind of gotten larger and even more complex with each book she has published.
Like all of Emma’s heroines, Andie is sparkly and fun-loving and thrives in the sphere of a complicated dessert. Her relationship with the girlfriends she makes is so heart-warming and positive, and her growing affection for Milo is so delicious to read.
I feel like a staple of YA is a teenager just *realizing things* (please picture Kylie Jenner saying this, iykyk) all the time, and that’s fairly the last 35% of this book, which is why I’m giving it four stars instead of five. It was a little exhausting having Andie realize *this* about her mom and *this* about her dad and *this* about her roommate and *this* about her boyfriend and *this* about Milo; like, there were so many deep, long-winded, emotional thoughts and feelings about stuff that it became a little too much for me. But it’s entirely possible that it was not excessive at all and I just haven’t read YA in a long time! Either way, I promise it was beautiful and I loved it and you should read it, it was just a tiny bit annoying when Andie went on to find like the seventh person she was going to have an emotional realization about.
Anyway. My point is, Emma Lord is the best and you should read this book and follow her on Twitter immediately.
Emma Lord, please consider this review my petition to be your best friend. Like, I follow you on social media and I think we would have a great time baking brownies made with five different types of Oreos while belting out Taylor Swift lyrics at the top of our lungs. Hit me up.
Honestly, the reason I love Emma’s books so much (and actually go back to reading YA for her when that’s not really my jam anymore) is that reading them feels like sipping on hot chocolate wearing your coziest pajamas while Taylor Swift plays in the background (I feel a recurrence of Taylor Swift on this review but I’m just rolling with it – the book is called Begin Again, after all *wink wink*).
Her writing is so colorful and whimsical, and her heroines genuinely feel like your best friends who are so funny and quick and smart and fun and also just need a hug and a word of advice.
This is the story of Andie, who dreamed of attending the college her parents went to but didn’t get in on the first try, unlike her jock boyfriend, Connor. Mid freshman year, she finally earns a spot and transfers in secret so Connor will be surprised. Except, once she gets there, she finds out he did the same thing – transferred to the community college she had been attending to surprise her.
Things are clearly not off to a great start, but Andie will not be deterred. As she’s wont to do, she starts to do the thing she’s best at – fixing other people’s problems. She decides to help her new roommate Shay find a major, help her new (very cute) sleep deprived RA Milo lay off his coffee addiction, help her boyfriend get into one of the school’s secret societies once he manages to transfer back by collecting enough ribbons for him (since having enough ribbons is the only way to enter into the societies and he’s obviously not there to do it himself), and on it goes.
While all of that is happening, we also get to know about Andie’s mom who passed away and her dad who pretty much checked out when she needed him most. A teenager making sense of a very complex family dynamic is an Emma Lord staple which has kind of gotten larger and even more complex with each book she has published.
Like all of Emma’s heroines, Andie is sparkly and fun-loving and thrives in the sphere of a complicated dessert. Her relationship with the girlfriends she makes is so heart-warming and positive, and her growing affection for Milo is so delicious to read.
I feel like a staple of YA is a teenager just *realizing things* (please picture Kylie Jenner saying this, iykyk) all the time, and that’s fairly the last 35% of this book, which is why I’m giving it four stars instead of five. It was a little exhausting having Andie realize *this* about her mom and *this* about her dad and *this* about her roommate and *this* about her boyfriend and *this* about Milo; like, there were so many deep, long-winded, emotional thoughts and feelings about stuff that it became a little too much for me. But it’s entirely possible that it was not excessive at all and I just haven’t read YA in a long time! Either way, I promise it was beautiful and I loved it and you should read it, it was just a tiny bit annoying when Andie went on to find like the seventh person she was going to have an emotional realization about.
Anyway. My point is, Emma Lord is the best and you should read this book and follow her on Twitter immediately.
January 18, 2023
4 stars
I've read all of Emma Lord's books and I've enjoyed each and every one. Begin Again was no exception. I will say I guessed the twist/conflict in the story early on, but I still found the ending so satisfying. I adored these characters!
Andie Rose is transferring to her dream school in the middle of her freshman year and she couldn't be more excited. She wants to be there for so many reasons, but one is to join her boyfriend Connor. Who she finds out transferred to their community college to be with her. Oye ve. Now she's on her own ready to make a go at the college experience she always wanted.
Andie finds a new friend group, including her roommate Shay, RA Milo, and tutor Val. She also starts helping out with the top secret broadcast her mom founded. Things are hectic but good, until things come crashing down around her.
When I say Andie was relatable... sheesh. The helper, the planner, the organizer. Totally me. I Aside from her, Milo was my favorite in the book. Emma writes great heroes. As this takes place in college it was more NA than YA and it worked for me! This one was great and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
'Getting a new start doesn't mean you have to wipe the slate clean. Just pick up the pieces. Begin again.
I've read all of Emma Lord's books and I've enjoyed each and every one. Begin Again was no exception. I will say I guessed the twist/conflict in the story early on, but I still found the ending so satisfying. I adored these characters!
Andie Rose is transferring to her dream school in the middle of her freshman year and she couldn't be more excited. She wants to be there for so many reasons, but one is to join her boyfriend Connor. Who she finds out transferred to their community college to be with her. Oye ve. Now she's on her own ready to make a go at the college experience she always wanted.
Andie finds a new friend group, including her roommate Shay, RA Milo, and tutor Val. She also starts helping out with the top secret broadcast her mom founded. Things are hectic but good, until things come crashing down around her.
When I say Andie was relatable... sheesh. The helper, the planner, the organizer. Totally me. I Aside from her, Milo was my favorite in the book. Emma writes great heroes. As this takes place in college it was more NA than YA and it worked for me! This one was great and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
January 24, 2023
Available now 💫💞 This book was YA perfection and I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s cute, covers heavy topics in a way that still made the story itself feel light, and was full of so much heart.
I went into this expecting a cute college romance but this book delivered so much more. Andie is a perfectionist who is constantly aiming to take care of others, even at the expense of her own goals and dreams. When she transfers to her dream school of Blue Ridge State she expects to surprise her boyfriend, only to discover that things aren’t going according to plan. Enter Milo, her dorm’s moody, coffee loving R.A. who Andie is increasingly drawn to over the course of the semester.
Andie and Milo are both in need of personal growth and healing. They find each other at the exact right time and they support one another through their personal journeys. I loved seeing their relationship grow almost as much as I loved seeing both of their individual character growth.
This is a cute YA romance that covers a variety of coming of age topics. If you’re looking for a college romance with the friends to lovers and grumpy x sunshine tropes then this is the book for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars
I went into this expecting a cute college romance but this book delivered so much more. Andie is a perfectionist who is constantly aiming to take care of others, even at the expense of her own goals and dreams. When she transfers to her dream school of Blue Ridge State she expects to surprise her boyfriend, only to discover that things aren’t going according to plan. Enter Milo, her dorm’s moody, coffee loving R.A. who Andie is increasingly drawn to over the course of the semester.
Andie and Milo are both in need of personal growth and healing. They find each other at the exact right time and they support one another through their personal journeys. I loved seeing their relationship grow almost as much as I loved seeing both of their individual character growth.
This is a cute YA romance that covers a variety of coming of age topics. If you’re looking for a college romance with the friends to lovers and grumpy x sunshine tropes then this is the book for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars
September 18, 2022
pre-read: one more chicklit in my tbr won’t hurt…
-
read: okay so obviously i need a refund on the college experience thing cause where is milo. where.
(thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! for a brief review: not as horrifyingly corny as her last two books, more on par with tweet cute. yay! overall a light comfort chicklit with an acceptable amount of corny. it does its job!)
-
in ARC fashion, here’s a few positives and negatives (not many, because most of mine were spoilers):
(+) definitely not as corny as her last two books. still corny, but not in the way that i wanted to give up reading for the next decade. maybe a 3/5 on the cornymeter, which is totally acceptable for a chicklit.
(?) the whole broadcasting piece. not too sure how i feel about it. on one side it’s really not as radio rebel as it could’ve been (thankfully), but on the other side it’s still written and used in a very disney channel way.
(-) andie. definitely the worst character, as all main characters tend to be (but if we’re ranking, she’s not the author’s worst main character). her quirky saying-silly-words-instead-of-cussing is enough to make me fight for my life, but i’m excusing it because i know i would have eaten it up in middle school. for a “fix everyone’s problems” character, though, her advice sucks LMAO
overall, an enjoyable-enough read. if i shut my eyes i can almost pretend that this is what college is really like!
-
read: okay so obviously i need a refund on the college experience thing cause where is milo. where.
(thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! for a brief review: not as horrifyingly corny as her last two books, more on par with tweet cute. yay! overall a light comfort chicklit with an acceptable amount of corny. it does its job!)
-
in ARC fashion, here’s a few positives and negatives (not many, because most of mine were spoilers):
(+) definitely not as corny as her last two books. still corny, but not in the way that i wanted to give up reading for the next decade. maybe a 3/5 on the cornymeter, which is totally acceptable for a chicklit.
(?) the whole broadcasting piece. not too sure how i feel about it. on one side it’s really not as radio rebel as it could’ve been (thankfully), but on the other side it’s still written and used in a very disney channel way.
(-) andie. definitely the worst character, as all main characters tend to be (but if we’re ranking, she’s not the author’s worst main character). her quirky saying-silly-words-instead-of-cussing is enough to make me fight for my life, but i’m excusing it because i know i would have eaten it up in middle school. for a “fix everyone’s problems” character, though, her advice sucks LMAO
overall, an enjoyable-enough read. if i shut my eyes i can almost pretend that this is what college is really like!
January 27, 2023
Even though this is the lowest I've rated a book by Lord, I still consider her an auto-read author. But this didn't quite reach the usual levels of charming that I've come to expect. And mostly, and I'm bummed to say it, that's because of the main character, Andie.
Strike one : her way of non-swearing by instead using cutesy dessert names. Nope. Strike two : her over-fixating on everyone's problems but her own. Strike three : the romantic drama that any hints at would mean revealing some spoilers.
While I liked the supporting cast, barring the one we aren't supposed to like, I wish they had been fleshed out a bit more. So much time was spent on various elements like the advice plotline, the ribbon plotline, the parental issue plotline, and then all the love interest backstory drama plotline.
Maybe I'm just in a mood and maybe I would've liked this more had I read it another time but the whole thing just tried too hard to feel rosy and charming and sweet without authentically being that way. And I'm used to feeling that authenticity from this author so I'm bummed. But that's okay. There was enough for this to be still somewhat enjoyable but it did take me way too long to push through during those draggy bits.
Despite all this, I will continue to pick up and read Lord. While I'm sad this wasn't a win the odds are definitely in her favour (and mine!) for future releases.
2.5 stars
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Strike one : her way of non-swearing by instead using cutesy dessert names. Nope. Strike two : her over-fixating on everyone's problems but her own. Strike three : the romantic drama that any hints at would mean revealing some spoilers.
While I liked the supporting cast, barring the one we aren't supposed to like, I wish they had been fleshed out a bit more. So much time was spent on various elements like the advice plotline, the ribbon plotline, the parental issue plotline, and then all the love interest backstory drama plotline.
Maybe I'm just in a mood and maybe I would've liked this more had I read it another time but the whole thing just tried too hard to feel rosy and charming and sweet without authentically being that way. And I'm used to feeling that authenticity from this author so I'm bummed. But that's okay. There was enough for this to be still somewhat enjoyable but it did take me way too long to push through during those draggy bits.
Despite all this, I will continue to pick up and read Lord. While I'm sad this wasn't a win the odds are definitely in her favour (and mine!) for future releases.
2.5 stars
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
January 4, 2023
2.5⭐️
I'm so sad I didn't like this one more. I think this author's writing is great and I always love the premise of her books, this one just didn't work for me.
I was a little bored through the first 30% or so. Things started to pick up but it didn't go in a direction that I really enjoyed.
I thought this was going to have more romance in it, but it really ended up feeling like more of a coming-of-age story that happened to be set at college and really just the MC figuring herself out. There were lots of life lessons discussed -but it was almost too much? It’s like every 5 pages characters are confronting their life’s big problems and it feels like a spiral where they just keep going back to the same flaws and having the same conversations about them.
For the little romance that was included, I couldn't really get on board with it. It felt like very close to cheating and that's never something I enjoy in books regardless of what gets revealed later on in the story.
The MC was annoying. I was not a fan of Andie and her saying-cutesy-food-words-instead-of-swearing thing. This was supposed to be an older YA novel as it's set in college but it felt juvenile. I did really like some of the side characters like Milo and Shay.
I've come to expect fun books from this author that still have some substance, but this just didn't feel fun.
At least there were Taylor Swift references.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I'm so sad I didn't like this one more. I think this author's writing is great and I always love the premise of her books, this one just didn't work for me.
I was a little bored through the first 30% or so. Things started to pick up but it didn't go in a direction that I really enjoyed.
I thought this was going to have more romance in it, but it really ended up feeling like more of a coming-of-age story that happened to be set at college and really just the MC figuring herself out. There were lots of life lessons discussed -but it was almost too much? It’s like every 5 pages characters are confronting their life’s big problems and it feels like a spiral where they just keep going back to the same flaws and having the same conversations about them.
For the little romance that was included, I couldn't really get on board with it. It felt like very close to cheating and that's never something I enjoy in books regardless of what gets revealed later on in the story.
The MC was annoying. I was not a fan of Andie and her saying-cutesy-food-words-instead-of-swearing thing. This was supposed to be an older YA novel as it's set in college but it felt juvenile. I did really like some of the side characters like Milo and Shay.
I've come to expect fun books from this author that still have some substance, but this just didn't feel fun.
At least there were Taylor Swift references.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
January 26, 2024
„Chcę kochać i być kochaną, ani przez chwilę nie wątpiąc
w bezwarunkowość tej miłości. Chcę poczuć się panią samej
siebie i nie musieć wiecznie martwić się o innych czy bać się, że jestem dla kogoś ciężarem. Chcę odzyskać to, co utraciłam, choćby małą cząstkę.”
Emma Lord po raz kolejny bawi i uczy. Porusza ważne tematy, jednocześnie gwarantując czytelnikowi odpoczynek i słodką lekturę. Obserwowanie wewnętrznego rozwoju Andie było czymś cudownym 🥹
Dzięki takim książkom uwielbiam młodzieżówki. Chciałabym żeby jednego dnia wszystkie moje ulubione postacie z jej książek doczekały się własnej, wspólnej opowieści. 😫💞
w bezwarunkowość tej miłości. Chcę poczuć się panią samej
siebie i nie musieć wiecznie martwić się o innych czy bać się, że jestem dla kogoś ciężarem. Chcę odzyskać to, co utraciłam, choćby małą cząstkę.”
Emma Lord po raz kolejny bawi i uczy. Porusza ważne tematy, jednocześnie gwarantując czytelnikowi odpoczynek i słodką lekturę. Obserwowanie wewnętrznego rozwoju Andie było czymś cudownym 🥹
Dzięki takim książkom uwielbiam młodzieżówki. Chciałabym żeby jednego dnia wszystkie moje ulubione postacie z jej książek doczekały się własnej, wspólnej opowieści. 😫💞
April 5, 2023
Oh oh! I left it too long to write a review and now all I remember is that I thought it was okay but nothing spectacular. Sorry, I will have to leave it at that.
December 3, 2023
Begin Again was absolutely adorable and delightful. And the title being one of my favourite song is chef's 😘!
Andie, She radiates generosity, constantly striving to help others even when facing her own challenges. She made the decision to leave her community college and transfer to Blue Ridge Stater. Her boyfriend, Connor, was already attending the university and Andie saw this as an opportunity to mend their rocky relationship. She had planned to surprise him with her arrival, but to her surprise, Connor called her to let her know that he had actually transferred to her community college to be with her.
There she met Milo. 💚💚
Milo, captivating green eyes, stole my heart. I adore you, Milo! Although he may come across as grumpy, he possesses a sharp wit and a huge heart. The way Andie and Milo understood and supported each other was truly heartwarming, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching their relationship blossom and ofcourse their path to healing. (Things stay pretty innocent between them until she ends things with Connor.)
And, as a sucker for slow burn romances, I adored that delicious will-they-won't-they tension that builds between them.👀❤️
The supporting cast was equally delightful, with Andie's grandmas and bookish roomate Shay stealing the show. Andie also finds her voice at the college's pirate radio station and I loved that part as well!
This was single pov and I would've loved to read Milo's pov too?
Nevertheless, this was an read with authentic friendships and a heartwarming love story.
I really liked it!!❤️❤️
Andie, She radiates generosity, constantly striving to help others even when facing her own challenges. She made the decision to leave her community college and transfer to Blue Ridge Stater. Her boyfriend, Connor, was already attending the university and Andie saw this as an opportunity to mend their rocky relationship. She had planned to surprise him with her arrival, but to her surprise, Connor called her to let her know that he had actually transferred to her community college to be with her.
There she met Milo. 💚💚
Milo, captivating green eyes, stole my heart. I adore you, Milo! Although he may come across as grumpy, he possesses a sharp wit and a huge heart. The way Andie and Milo understood and supported each other was truly heartwarming, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching their relationship blossom and ofcourse their path to healing. (Things stay pretty innocent between them until she ends things with Connor.)
And, as a sucker for slow burn romances, I adored that delicious will-they-won't-they tension that builds between them.👀❤️
The supporting cast was equally delightful, with Andie's grandmas and bookish roomate Shay stealing the show. Andie also finds her voice at the college's pirate radio station and I loved that part as well!
This was single pov and I would've loved to read Milo's pov too?
Nevertheless, this was an read with authentic friendships and a heartwarming love story.
I really liked it!!❤️❤️
January 19, 2023
4.5 stars
This enjoyably heartwarming, coming of age YA was just what I needed after reading so many suspenseful and emotionally intense books back to back.
Emma Lord’s newest contemporary romance follows college student Andie Rose who, after transferring to her dream college (the super competitive Blue Ridge State) is finally on track to make her decades long plans (to follow in her mum’s footsteps, major in psychology and become the iconic self-help figure she’s always dreamt of being) come true.
But as soon as she arrives, all of Andie’s plans go completely off the rails: her boyfriend is a no show, her schedule is worryingly full and the cute RA, Milo might just upend everything she thought she knew about love and friendships. With her dreams looking increasingly unlikely, Andie soon learns that best laid plans she’s pinned all her hopes on…might not necessarily be the right ones for her.
It was such an adorably sweet read with an amazing, slow burn romance and early 00s teen rom-com/ Taylor Swift vibes that I couldn’t get enough of.
It does delve into themes such as grief, love and (as the title suggests) new beginnings, which were at times incredibly emotional in scope, and yet, I still wasn’t expecting my first foray into Emma Lord’s work to be soo satisfyingly soothing—especially given the deeper themes and emotions explored (and which had me tearing up on more than one occasion.)
I really liked Andie, our cinnamon roll protagonist and sole POV throughout the book. She’s such a ray of optimism, hope and general selflessness, always trying to solve everyone else’s problems despite her own struggles. (I mean, she uses the names of her fave foods instead of swear words, how could you not love her!)
And my love for her is probably why I loved Milo (Andie’s RA, friend and love interest) soo much, as he manages to get through to her in a way no one else does. Dealing with issues and grief of his own, I really enjoyed their interactions which felt so wonderfully (and emotionally) intimate. And, as a sucker for slow burn romances, I adored that delicious will-they-won’t-they tension that builds between them.
There's also plenty going on narrative wise, but for me it was the uber secretive pirate radio show, The Knight's Watch that was the most intriguing (besides Andie's emotional development and the romance of course) and I loved how it seamlessly connected soo many of the characters we meet.
Speaking of characters, the supporting cast were genuinely soo entertaining and utterly adorable—especially Andie’s grandmas (who were absolutely hilarious) and Blue Ridge’s resident bookstagrammer Shay, who definitely helps to bring Andi out of her shell, as does Valeria (fellow student, statistics tutor and budding novelist.)
Overall, an incredibly heartfelt YA romance that will definitely appeal to anyone who loves rom-coms, coming of age YA or the found friendship trope.
Also, a huge thank you to Macmillan Kids UK for the finished copy
This enjoyably heartwarming, coming of age YA was just what I needed after reading so many suspenseful and emotionally intense books back to back.
Emma Lord’s newest contemporary romance follows college student Andie Rose who, after transferring to her dream college (the super competitive Blue Ridge State) is finally on track to make her decades long plans (to follow in her mum’s footsteps, major in psychology and become the iconic self-help figure she’s always dreamt of being) come true.
But as soon as she arrives, all of Andie’s plans go completely off the rails: her boyfriend is a no show, her schedule is worryingly full and the cute RA, Milo might just upend everything she thought she knew about love and friendships. With her dreams looking increasingly unlikely, Andie soon learns that best laid plans she’s pinned all her hopes on…might not necessarily be the right ones for her.
It was such an adorably sweet read with an amazing, slow burn romance and early 00s teen rom-com/ Taylor Swift vibes that I couldn’t get enough of.
It does delve into themes such as grief, love and (as the title suggests) new beginnings, which were at times incredibly emotional in scope, and yet, I still wasn’t expecting my first foray into Emma Lord’s work to be soo satisfyingly soothing—especially given the deeper themes and emotions explored (and which had me tearing up on more than one occasion.)
I really liked Andie, our cinnamon roll protagonist and sole POV throughout the book. She’s such a ray of optimism, hope and general selflessness, always trying to solve everyone else’s problems despite her own struggles. (I mean, she uses the names of her fave foods instead of swear words, how could you not love her!)
And my love for her is probably why I loved Milo (Andie’s RA, friend and love interest) soo much, as he manages to get through to her in a way no one else does. Dealing with issues and grief of his own, I really enjoyed their interactions which felt so wonderfully (and emotionally) intimate. And, as a sucker for slow burn romances, I adored that delicious will-they-won’t-they tension that builds between them.
There's also plenty going on narrative wise, but for me it was the uber secretive pirate radio show, The Knight's Watch that was the most intriguing (besides Andie's emotional development and the romance of course) and I loved how it seamlessly connected soo many of the characters we meet.
Speaking of characters, the supporting cast were genuinely soo entertaining and utterly adorable—especially Andie’s grandmas (who were absolutely hilarious) and Blue Ridge’s resident bookstagrammer Shay, who definitely helps to bring Andi out of her shell, as does Valeria (fellow student, statistics tutor and budding novelist.)
Overall, an incredibly heartfelt YA romance that will definitely appeal to anyone who loves rom-coms, coming of age YA or the found friendship trope.
Also, a huge thank you to Macmillan Kids UK for the finished copy
June 26, 2023
This was such a charming and cute read about two loveable and enjoyable characters navigating college, love and life in general - Andie and Milo. This book had a wonderful cast of characters and a feel good story that keeps you turning the pages.
July 22, 2023
this honestly wasn't that bad but it was definitely not written for anyone my age. wow this makes me sounds so old.
February 24, 2023
Such a fun read! I started this one in the evening and almost read the whole thing in one sitting. Alas, one must sleep.
I love books that almost feel like a "coming of age" movie. Loved the writing. Loved the characters. Loved the plot execution. This book makes me want to go check out the rest of Emma Lord's backlist.
The main character Andie transfers to her boyfriend's university (also her mom's alma mater) so they can be together only to find out that he's transferred to her campus. That mini-synopsis was enough to have my rom-com loving self hooked.
Andie could very well have been set up like a "not like the other girls" type of girls but she wasn't and I'm sending a hershey's kiss to the author for that. Andie Rose is a perfectionist, she's sunshine incarnate, she loves people and she loves helping. Andie Rose is also a volcano waiting to erupt with a host of mommy issues, daddy issues, boyfriend issues, falling-in-love-with-your-RA issues and identity issues all wrapped up into one. Her issues were presented and unraveled so naturally that I have no complaints. I usually have a lot of those so this is a great feat.
Not to mention her friends felt like real friends. They got screen time and character development. Her love interest Milo is her friend before anything else. And this kind of friends to lovers just hits. He was there for her every step of the way and the level of supportive this man was??? Where is my Milo, huh???
I really enjoyed this book and the only reason there's 1 star off is because I wanted to see more of the main couple be a couple after getting together. Not everyone cares about that, but it's just something I like before getting to the epilogue.
Anyway, I loved being extremely right about the bf. I'm glad my red flag sensors are still working great. I hope he's eating dust.
As always, thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
I love books that almost feel like a "coming of age" movie. Loved the writing. Loved the characters. Loved the plot execution. This book makes me want to go check out the rest of Emma Lord's backlist.
The main character Andie transfers to her boyfriend's university (also her mom's alma mater) so they can be together only to find out that he's transferred to her campus. That mini-synopsis was enough to have my rom-com loving self hooked.
Andie could very well have been set up like a "not like the other girls" type of girls but she wasn't and I'm sending a hershey's kiss to the author for that. Andie Rose is a perfectionist, she's sunshine incarnate, she loves people and she loves helping. Andie Rose is also a volcano waiting to erupt with a host of mommy issues, daddy issues, boyfriend issues, falling-in-love-with-your-RA issues and identity issues all wrapped up into one. Her issues were presented and unraveled so naturally that I have no complaints. I usually have a lot of those so this is a great feat.
Not to mention her friends felt like real friends. They got screen time and character development. Her love interest Milo is her friend before anything else. And this kind of friends to lovers just hits. He was there for her every step of the way and the level of supportive this man was??? Where is my Milo, huh???
I really enjoyed this book and the only reason there's 1 star off is because I wanted to see more of the main couple be a couple after getting together. Not everyone cares about that, but it's just something I like before getting to the epilogue.
Anyway, I loved being extremely right about the bf. I'm glad my red flag sensors are still working great. I hope he's eating dust.
As always, thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
December 10, 2022
i did not like one thing about this book ….
andie was so annoying and i could not stand the way she replaced swear words with her favourite foods…it was not cute at all. it seemed like she was a 12 year old and not an 18 year old. also, college was very unrealistic in this book like she got yelled at by her prof for being late to a big lecture?? if it’s a general lecture, profs literally do not care if you’re late or not in a class, it’s not like high school.
i did not like andie and milo’s dynamic and the fact that the issue of him being her RA was never brought up did not sit well with me.
thank you to netgalley for giving me an arc for this book in exchange for an honest review.
andie was so annoying and i could not stand the way she replaced swear words with her favourite foods…it was not cute at all. it seemed like she was a 12 year old and not an 18 year old. also, college was very unrealistic in this book like she got yelled at by her prof for being late to a big lecture?? if it’s a general lecture, profs literally do not care if you’re late or not in a class, it’s not like high school.
i did not like andie and milo’s dynamic and the fact that the issue of him being her RA was never brought up did not sit well with me.
thank you to netgalley for giving me an arc for this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2022
i'm weeping! emma lord has done it again!
January 24, 2023
Andie Rose always needs a plan. And her current one seems flawless. Transfer from her community college to Blue Ridge State to be with her long-time boyfriend Connor, major in psychology, and get her life back on track. But as soon as she arrives at Blue Ridge, a major crack hits: Connor has transferred from Blue Ridge to be with her. Oops. Blue Ridge is tough academically. Andie needs a campus job. And her new roommate Shay needs a major, which Andie is struggling with, despite her reputation as someone who can fix anyone's problems... except maybe her own.
So this is cute and fun, for sure. Not my favorite Emma Lord (that is still TWEET CUTE) but a very good read nonetheless. I spent half the book trying to figure out if Blue Ridge was a stand-in for UVA, so I need some mental health help of my own. Andie certainly came with her own set of issues, but don't we all? Her mom passed away when she was young and then her dad basically bailed, leaving her in the care of two sweet, silly grandmas. Sure, they took care of her, but wouldn't that give you a bit of a complex, too? Blue Ridge is where Andie's parents met and fell in love, so she's dealing with that extra heaping of pressure.
The highlights in this book are the friend groups. I loved AGAIN's message about finding yourself and finding your friend family in college (or anywhere). Shay, Andie's roommate, is great, as is Valeria, another friend. And Andie's R.A., Milo, is wonderful--along with his extended family that seems to lurk at every place in Blue Ridge, including the local bagel shop. Andie and Milo's relationship is a slow burner, but it's a good one, and like a lot of Emma Lord relationships, it's really hard not to get behind it. They are just so darn... perfect. Milo has lost his dad; we know Andie has lost her mom, and the book does a strong job of exploring grief and how losing a parent affects your ability to trust. (We will just ignore the whole side plot with Connor, because frankly, he's not worth our time.)
This one felt a bit repetitive off and on--Andie is obsessed with earning these school ribbons, for example, because her parents did--that are tied to club events at the school and sometimes that all felt too much. For someone who loves to give advice, you wanted to shake her from time to time for her decision-making. There's a broadcasting/radio angle that seemed like it would be too much, but actually turned out to be perfect.
Overall, BEGIN AGAIN is chaotic and probably not one bit reflective of my college experience, but it's sweet and touching and full of charm and humor. There are representative characters and a couple you can root for--sometimes there's not much more you need, right? 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 here.
I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
So this is cute and fun, for sure. Not my favorite Emma Lord (that is still TWEET CUTE) but a very good read nonetheless. I spent half the book trying to figure out if Blue Ridge was a stand-in for UVA, so I need some mental health help of my own. Andie certainly came with her own set of issues, but don't we all? Her mom passed away when she was young and then her dad basically bailed, leaving her in the care of two sweet, silly grandmas. Sure, they took care of her, but wouldn't that give you a bit of a complex, too? Blue Ridge is where Andie's parents met and fell in love, so she's dealing with that extra heaping of pressure.
The highlights in this book are the friend groups. I loved AGAIN's message about finding yourself and finding your friend family in college (or anywhere). Shay, Andie's roommate, is great, as is Valeria, another friend. And Andie's R.A., Milo, is wonderful--along with his extended family that seems to lurk at every place in Blue Ridge, including the local bagel shop. Andie and Milo's relationship is a slow burner, but it's a good one, and like a lot of Emma Lord relationships, it's really hard not to get behind it. They are just so darn... perfect. Milo has lost his dad; we know Andie has lost her mom, and the book does a strong job of exploring grief and how losing a parent affects your ability to trust. (We will just ignore the whole side plot with Connor, because frankly, he's not worth our time.)
This one felt a bit repetitive off and on--Andie is obsessed with earning these school ribbons, for example, because her parents did--that are tied to club events at the school and sometimes that all felt too much. For someone who loves to give advice, you wanted to shake her from time to time for her decision-making. There's a broadcasting/radio angle that seemed like it would be too much, but actually turned out to be perfect.
Overall, BEGIN AGAIN is chaotic and probably not one bit reflective of my college experience, but it's sweet and touching and full of charm and humor. There are representative characters and a couple you can root for--sometimes there's not much more you need, right? 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 here.
I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
August 21, 2023
Maybe I'm a mess now, but I'm in the middle of everyone else's mess, too. Milo's and Shay's and Val's. We might not know where we fit yet, but we've got a strong gup on one another, and maybe that's all you get to ask for at this point in your life. Maybe it's the only thing you really need.
"I'm a mess, but I'm the mess that you wanted"🥰
I'm starting to think we take great romance novels for granted. Really. We pick them up for the relationship itself and less for the story. But that is wonderful about this genre, I guess. Properly done they are more than just books about love. They even become self-help ones.
How did this book make its way to me?
I almost bought it at the beginning of the year and a few weeks ago when I finally did I ordered it mostly for the title.
Begin again is a song I love deeply. The lyrics are simple, but they hide so much:
I'm sure everyone at some point forgot who they were. It's a risk we all have to face. The real challenge comes when we finally ask ourselves: "Who am I? What types of clothes do I like to wear? What is my favourite colour? What do I like to do?". Simple questions we all have an answer to, right? But how often is that answer coming from our heart? How often do we forget about ourselves, become part of the crowd and eventually start to answer these basic questions in relation to who we think we are? Some people do have that much of an influence over you. So the real question isn't "Who am I?", but "Who is the real me?". Don't worry. Every time you lose yourself it's the perfect time to begin again.
So, did this book live up to the title and how full of Taylor references was it?
First, let's talk about the writing and the characters.
Me and Emma Lord go back a long time ago when I read Tweet Cute. I felt closer to Begin Again. I don't know why. I thought it's going to be a quick summer read. It changed something inside me, though. I know I mentioned in a previous review that life is like a rubik's cube and you have to mix it up more than it already is in order to solve it. I don't know if at that time, before I read this book, I really meant those words. Now, however, I do.
The reality is that it's okay to have a list of steps you want to follow, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow.
Main characters:
Andie
I'll start by saying that I believe Andromeda it's a beautiful name. I loved how she tried to help everyone even being a matchmaker and at times all I wanted to do was give her a hug and tell her everything's gonna be alright. I wanted to tell her she's enough, she has nothing to prove to other people apart from herself. I guess this is what you get from this kind of suffocating relationship. She didn't deserve the unfortunate events that happened to her. I'm glad she found her own path, on her own. She'll be a great psychologist one day, I'm sure.
Milo
Sorry 😂😂😂
Milo's cute
Milo's fun
Milo's grump
And she's sunshine
(I promise, I usually make more inspired rhymes 😅)
Milo made me laugh. He was so authentic, the part he walked into a trash can and apologised to it... I lost it 😂. Eternal Darkness (insert Darth Vader voice - that's just how it played in my head, sorry 😂).
Seriously now, he's one of the most relatable characters I've seen in a while. There were so many times I thought : "My friend, I feel you".
I'm not quite sure if we have the grumpy x sunshine trope, but he's like ':
"Love's a scam"... Oh look at this newly transferred freshman. Forget it,"Love's a gift 💞"
He also appreciates her and all her talents and he's not holding her back. He gives her the confidence she needs in order to shine. Because she likes to shine, but he (Conner) didn't. So Milo's her “begin again”. Just like in the song.
Which brings us to the winner of the biggest jerk award : Mr. Connor With!
Please don't welcome him with a round of applause 🚫👏
We're not going to talk about him because he doesn't deserve our attention. Did I think in the beginning that he was cute? Yes. Did I want to punch him towards the end? Of course. And we may forgive, forget, but we never let it go.
Their college…
Wow. I mean... I don't know about you but I'd absolutely love to go to college in a place like this. Great programs, helpful teachers, snowball fights (like... ❄️), ribbon haunts, secret society, friendly people, an arboretum and volunteer activities.
Bold move of them to schedule the parents children meeting the day after the Halloween party. 😂
I understood all these students are sleep deprived 😴 and they live entirely of Eternal Darkness and bagels. 👍
The connection to the song.
I expected a playlist, something Lynn Painter style. I guess we do have a playlist if you take into consideration all the songs references.
All the characters were so TS coded.
The grandmas gave me Rebeckah vibes(I could totally see them dye a dog key lime green in a feud with their neighbour 😂). They were so supportive and fearless 💛.
Our main couple did the exact thing we expected from the Begin Again song as I said before.
Val was a bit Augustine for me.
Shay and Andie were This is me trying
And all of them together were Invisible string.
The overall TS references were pretty subtle(song names dropped here and there, the whole August slipped away into a moment in time) and one clear reference to The Eras Tour that was spot-on✨.
Also, I have to mention that before the end of the book I kept saying I was going to sue Emma Lord if she doesn't end up the book with the words in my mind, but she did so we're good 🤭.
"When we pull apart, his eyes are a brighter green than I've ever seen them; like spring leaves, like evergreen peaks, like new beginnings."
What have I learned from this book? I learned to trust fate. And most importantly, I learnt to always search for my true self.
“Well, that's all from us today," I say. "Go make the most out of it
because every day is a chance to ❤️begin again❤️.”
"I'm a mess, but I'm the mess that you wanted"🥰
I'm starting to think we take great romance novels for granted. Really. We pick them up for the relationship itself and less for the story. But that is wonderful about this genre, I guess. Properly done they are more than just books about love. They even become self-help ones.
How did this book make its way to me?
I almost bought it at the beginning of the year and a few weeks ago when I finally did I ordered it mostly for the title.
Begin again is a song I love deeply. The lyrics are simple, but they hide so much:
I'm sure everyone at some point forgot who they were. It's a risk we all have to face. The real challenge comes when we finally ask ourselves: "Who am I? What types of clothes do I like to wear? What is my favourite colour? What do I like to do?". Simple questions we all have an answer to, right? But how often is that answer coming from our heart? How often do we forget about ourselves, become part of the crowd and eventually start to answer these basic questions in relation to who we think we are? Some people do have that much of an influence over you. So the real question isn't "Who am I?", but "Who is the real me?". Don't worry. Every time you lose yourself it's the perfect time to begin again.
So, did this book live up to the title and how full of Taylor references was it?
First, let's talk about the writing and the characters.
Me and Emma Lord go back a long time ago when I read Tweet Cute. I felt closer to Begin Again. I don't know why. I thought it's going to be a quick summer read. It changed something inside me, though. I know I mentioned in a previous review that life is like a rubik's cube and you have to mix it up more than it already is in order to solve it. I don't know if at that time, before I read this book, I really meant those words. Now, however, I do.
The reality is that it's okay to have a list of steps you want to follow, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow.
Main characters:
Andie
I'll start by saying that I believe Andromeda it's a beautiful name. I loved how she tried to help everyone even being a matchmaker and at times all I wanted to do was give her a hug and tell her everything's gonna be alright. I wanted to tell her she's enough, she has nothing to prove to other people apart from herself. I guess this is what you get from this kind of suffocating relationship. She didn't deserve the unfortunate events that happened to her. I'm glad she found her own path, on her own. She'll be a great psychologist one day, I'm sure.
Milo
Sorry 😂😂😂
Milo's cute
Milo's fun
Milo's grump
And she's sunshine
(I promise, I usually make more inspired rhymes 😅)
Milo made me laugh. He was so authentic, the part he walked into a trash can and apologised to it... I lost it 😂. Eternal Darkness (insert Darth Vader voice - that's just how it played in my head, sorry 😂).
Seriously now, he's one of the most relatable characters I've seen in a while. There were so many times I thought : "My friend, I feel you".
I'm not quite sure if we have the grumpy x sunshine trope, but he's like ':
"Love's a scam"... Oh look at this newly transferred freshman. Forget it,"Love's a gift 💞"
He also appreciates her and all her talents and he's not holding her back. He gives her the confidence she needs in order to shine. Because she likes to shine, but he (Conner) didn't. So Milo's her “begin again”. Just like in the song.
Which brings us to the winner of the biggest jerk award : Mr. Connor With!
Please don't welcome him with a round of applause 🚫👏
We're not going to talk about him because he doesn't deserve our attention. Did I think in the beginning that he was cute? Yes. Did I want to punch him towards the end? Of course. And we may forgive, forget, but we never let it go.
Their college…
Wow. I mean... I don't know about you but I'd absolutely love to go to college in a place like this. Great programs, helpful teachers, snowball fights (like... ❄️), ribbon haunts, secret society, friendly people, an arboretum and volunteer activities.
Bold move of them to schedule the parents children meeting the day after the Halloween party. 😂
I understood all these students are sleep deprived 😴 and they live entirely of Eternal Darkness and bagels. 👍
The connection to the song.
I expected a playlist, something Lynn Painter style. I guess we do have a playlist if you take into consideration all the songs references.
All the characters were so TS coded.
The grandmas gave me Rebeckah vibes(I could totally see them dye a dog key lime green in a feud with their neighbour 😂). They were so supportive and fearless 💛.
Our main couple did the exact thing we expected from the Begin Again song as I said before.
Val was a bit Augustine for me.
Shay and Andie were This is me trying
And all of them together were Invisible string.
The overall TS references were pretty subtle(song names dropped here and there, the whole August slipped away into a moment in time) and one clear reference to The Eras Tour that was spot-on✨.
Also, I have to mention that before the end of the book I kept saying I was going to sue Emma Lord if she doesn't end up the book with the words in my mind, but she did so we're good 🤭.
"When we pull apart, his eyes are a brighter green than I've ever seen them; like spring leaves, like evergreen peaks, like new beginnings."
What have I learned from this book? I learned to trust fate. And most importantly, I learnt to always search for my true self.
“Well, that's all from us today," I say. "Go make the most out of it
because every day is a chance to ❤️begin again❤️.”
January 15, 2023
This is really an adorable feel good coming of age rom-com.
Andie Rose is the daughter of the much loved radio personality Amy Rose. After her mother's untimely death 7 years ago Andie felt like the whole town treated her differently; with pity, because she was the kid with a dead mom. Andie has grown up fantasizing Blue Ridge State to a point that it has become part of who she is; a pivotal point in her plan to live up to her mom's legacy. Not only is it her parents' Alma mater, where they met and fell in love, and where her mom founded the Night Watch radio program; but Andie's long time boyfriend/best friend was there too. After Andie did not get accepted into Blue Ridge on her first try, she spent a semester at the local community college working hard and was the only mid year transfer student accepted into Blue Ridge State.
As Andie navigates this new setting, she meets new friends, learns to both stand up for herself and to forgive old grudges. She realizes that life doesn't necessarily follow even the most perfectly laid plans and some things have to fall apart so that other things can come together.
Andie Rose is the daughter of the much loved radio personality Amy Rose. After her mother's untimely death 7 years ago Andie felt like the whole town treated her differently; with pity, because she was the kid with a dead mom. Andie has grown up fantasizing Blue Ridge State to a point that it has become part of who she is; a pivotal point in her plan to live up to her mom's legacy. Not only is it her parents' Alma mater, where they met and fell in love, and where her mom founded the Night Watch radio program; but Andie's long time boyfriend/best friend was there too. After Andie did not get accepted into Blue Ridge on her first try, she spent a semester at the local community college working hard and was the only mid year transfer student accepted into Blue Ridge State.
As Andie navigates this new setting, she meets new friends, learns to both stand up for herself and to forgive old grudges. She realizes that life doesn't necessarily follow even the most perfectly laid plans and some things have to fall apart so that other things can come together.
February 8, 2024
3.5 stars
Finally was able to get some reading time in today to finish this one. It's a cute college romance about finding yourself (and love, of course). Gave me so much nostalgia for being on campus.
Finally was able to get some reading time in today to finish this one. It's a cute college romance about finding yourself (and love, of course). Gave me so much nostalgia for being on campus.
January 23, 2023
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I really liked this book! I have read 2 of Emma Lord’s previous books and really enjoyed them so I was eager to give this book a try. Once I started listening to this audiobook, I was quickly hooked. Andie and her two grandmothers were easy to like with their snack cakes and determination to make friends. I couldn’t wait to watch Andie in her new college environment and I kind of wanted to help her find all the ribbons that she needed.
Andie was pretty easy to like right from the start. I loved the way she didn’t hesitate to go after what she wanted. What she needed to work on was putting her needs above what others were demanding of her. I liked all of the characters that we meet at Blue Ridge State, especially Milo, Shay, and Valeria. Andie was very lucky to be paired with a roommate that was such a good fit and it was great to see her really find her people. I thought that her family issues were addressed rather well.
I believe that this is the first time that I have listened to Georgina Sadler’s narration and I thought that she did great with this story. I thought that the voices that she used for the various characters really helped to bring the story to life. It was just so easy to slip inside this wonderful story for hours at a time. I do believe that the narrator’s performance added to my enjoyment of this book.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. I love that this book dealt with so many important topics, such as grief and learning to put yourself first, and did it in an incredibly entertaining manner. I do hope to read more of this author’s work very soon.
I received a digital review copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Young Listeners.
I really liked this book! I have read 2 of Emma Lord’s previous books and really enjoyed them so I was eager to give this book a try. Once I started listening to this audiobook, I was quickly hooked. Andie and her two grandmothers were easy to like with their snack cakes and determination to make friends. I couldn’t wait to watch Andie in her new college environment and I kind of wanted to help her find all the ribbons that she needed.
Andie was pretty easy to like right from the start. I loved the way she didn’t hesitate to go after what she wanted. What she needed to work on was putting her needs above what others were demanding of her. I liked all of the characters that we meet at Blue Ridge State, especially Milo, Shay, and Valeria. Andie was very lucky to be paired with a roommate that was such a good fit and it was great to see her really find her people. I thought that her family issues were addressed rather well.
I believe that this is the first time that I have listened to Georgina Sadler’s narration and I thought that she did great with this story. I thought that the voices that she used for the various characters really helped to bring the story to life. It was just so easy to slip inside this wonderful story for hours at a time. I do believe that the narrator’s performance added to my enjoyment of this book.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. I love that this book dealt with so many important topics, such as grief and learning to put yourself first, and did it in an incredibly entertaining manner. I do hope to read more of this author’s work very soon.
I received a digital review copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Young Listeners.
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