Talia Hibbert

Highly Suspicious, Unfairly Cute

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors—and each other. Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine. Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption—yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.) These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her. Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

Levi-Mae 

“You’re allowed anywhere you want,” I tell her, “as long as you’re right next to me.” 

“No,” she groans, her voice muffled. “No, I really can’t,”

“Then how am I gonna tell you that I love you too?”

“I want to take the risk because I want you. And I trust you. And you’re worth it! Do you get that?You’re worth it to me.” 

“I’m sorry I pushed you away when you didn’t deserve it. I didn’t even meant it. I lied. I don’t even want to end things. I thought you did, which was probably paranoia because I was worried you’d notice how much I wanted to be with you, for real, and I should’ve just agreed when you asked me the first time, only I couldn’t because I was so scared that you would…we would…that it wouldn’t last. 

‘Her eyes light up with humour, her lips curve, and I’m smiling back at her before I can remember she’s the reason my heart hurts so bad. 

God, it’s just impossible not to be Celine’s friend.’

“Your dad is just something that happened to you.”

‘I love Bradley Graeme. As in, would give him a kidney, would wash his socks, would turn into a supervillain if he died. I love him so much I almost want to say it out loud, a dangerous and horrifying prospect I am not remotely equipped to deal with right now.’

“Aw. I like it when you’re bossy.” But there’s caution behind his confidence. 

I hesitate. “Are you flirting with me?” 

‘I don’t want to have him if he’s going to be gone. So I won’t take him at all.’

“Brad,” she says softly, smiling, for real this time. “You’re supposed to close your eyes.” 

‘God, she is so annoyingly fantastic.’

His smile is the softest, sweetest thing, like a spilled bottle of relief. “God, Celine. You’re so lovely.” 

“Are you telling me you’re not in love with Celine?” 

“No, you’re not in love with her, or no you’re not telling me you’re in love with her because you are?” 

‘I hope he has the audacity to try and claim me as his daughter so I can tell him I have one father and her name is Neneh.’

‘Here’s my new perspective: my mouth is dry, my heart is still thundering against my ribs, the difference between a smile and a scowl on her face is the difference between rainfall and drought and—oh shit no no no no no . . . 

“There’s nothing wrong with you. Or with you having OCD, obviously. I just wanted to piss you off, but it was horrible and untrue and you’re…fine. Better than fine. Anyone who knew you would want you, okay?” 

‘I really can’t stand this girl. I wonder how long I get to walk with her.’ 

I roll my eyes. “You’re the bane of my existence. Did you know that?” 

‘She doesn’t care about people easily, but once you’ve got her, you’ve got her. 

There’s a hollow space in my stomach that feels a lot like regret.’ 

‘In this shadowy, raindrop-stained blue universe, she is very soft and dark, like falling into bed at night after a long, hard day.’

maia

this is the ya romance i have been yearning for

Ralie Sutton

If I had one word for this book, it would be cute. The banter between Celine and Bradley was top-tier. There were many lines that made me laugh out loud. In fact, it was probably my favorite part of the book. I also liked the premise that they were both competing for the same scholarship. It really raised the stakes and added to the tension between them that was already there. I also liked the main characters, but the others fell flat. It is probably because many of the side characters weren’t in it for long enough for me to really like them. Celine’s supposed closest friend is really only in it for a couple chapters when Celine needs a warm body to talk to. I also wish that more of the competition had been shown. There was only one real challenge that I got to experience alongside the characters. For a competition that is the BASIS of the novel and which lasted a week (more if you count the second part of the competition), it was barely shown. It was more of a “fade to black” type of event which made no sense to me. As a result the book was a little too much inner narrative for me. I felt like the main characters worked things out in their head more than they talked to any one character. It felt hard for me to really see any personal growth that way. Overall, it was a cute book, but not my favorite. I wouldn’t steer anyone away from it.

Kendall V

I finished it earlier today and left off reviewing because I thought I would have more thoughts to share. But here it is:

I thought this was so much better than any romance genre book I've read before. I genuinely liked it. Then it pulled that semi-third act breakup like This Time it's Real, and typical of all adult romances that I had to step away from it. Not for me because the only reason people can't be together in books should be because of actual life-threatening issues.

I finished it earlier today and left off reviewing because I thought I would have more thoughts to share. But here it is:

I thought this was so much better than any romance genre book I've read before. I genuinely liked it. Then it pulled that semi-third act breakup like This Time it's Real, and typical of all adult romances that I had to step away from it. Not for me because the only reason people can't be together in books should be because of actual life-threatening issues.

Kristin Boren

I'm actually not exaggerating when I say Talia Hibbert writes the cutest books of all time. Incredibly loveable characters. I want everything good for Celine and Brad.

this was really cute, i loved the characters, i loved the bi- and ocd rep, and  i LOOOOOOVED BRAD OMG HES SOOOOOO SWEET!! 

i really like the story line, with the camping and stuff, and i love the reletionships the main characters have with their family its just adorable

sometimes kind of cringe because of the tiktok stuff i just dont really like when social media plays a role in the book but honestly i just ingrediënten it it was fine. 

the only thing i didnt like was how they both knew they were in love by the 50% mark but then didnt really do anything about it? i started kind of losing my interest bc of that but i ended up really liking the book it was just so sweet

matti horckmans

this was really cute, i loved the characters, i loved the bi- and ocd rep, and  i LOOOOOOVED BRAD OMG HES SOOOOOO SWEET!! 

i really like the story line, with the camping and stuff, and i love the reletionships the main characters have with their family its just adorable

sometimes kind of cringe because of the tiktok stuff i just dont really like when social media plays a role in the book but honestly i just ingrediënten it it was fine. 

the only thing i didnt like was how they both knew they were in love by the 50% mark but then didnt really do anything about it? i started kind of losing my interest bc of that but i ended up really liking the book it was just so sweet

Victoria Oge-Evans

It was actually a cute book! Although the characters might get on your nerves sometimes but you later understand why they’re the way they are…

Temi Awani

Charlsy Sekyere

⭐️4.5-5

In the end, after much thought and a lot of back and forth, I have decided that I feel like this book deserves not just a 4 star rating, but a high 4.5/5 star rating.

With this being Talia Hibbert's YA debut, Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute was a near-perfect read. Here we have a book that has two wonderfully charming, witty, and endearing main characters, Celine and Bradley, with brilliant chemistry and terrific banter between them. A book with well-developed and lovable side characters that add to its charm.

The book had me smiling right out of the gate and I was enjoying myself tremendously. Seeing Celine and Brad's relationship progress from childhood best friends to academic rivals to friends to lovers was honestly a treat to read.

The way Talia Hibbert writes characters is remarkable; she has an ability to incorporate subtle conversations about one's personal growth, aspirations, and purpose into the story, while also carefully handling representations like mental illness and OCD effortlessly. I honestly believe it's just a Talia Hibbert thing at this point. She's simply an excellent writer. The campsite/camping scenes were elite. Every single one. There isn't a single thing I can criticise about those scenes.

The only thing I wasn't too enthusiastic about was Celine and Brad's reasons for not being friends. I mean I got it, it made sense, but the way it was ‘resolved’ felt slightly incomplete, for lack of a better word.

All in all, I loved the book. One of my favourite books of 2023 so far. Black YA romance is just top tier, I'm fully convinced.

Since I have been having an AWFUL reading year so far, this book was exactly what I needed. As a result, I'm glad to say that I will now be reading everything Talia Hibbert writes in the future.

When I saw that there was another Hibbert Book I may have screwed and knew that I had to pick it up and give it a read it was fab to be back in a Perfectly cure Romance Book from the Brainchild of Talia Hibbert. This was the Perfect book for an Early Spring night watching the Sun set as I got lost in the world of Bradley & Celine! 

Bradley and Celine used to be best friends but then a rift happened between them and they're not friends. Not even close. When Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods and Bradley also goes, they must learn to get along again. Or at least work together for the first time in years. What they end up learning is maybe they don't dislike each other near as much as they've thought.

This was Hibbert’s first Young Adult book and I must admit that it took me a while to get use to the chance in direction and get used to the nature of YA books but that’s not to put you off this book as at its heart it’s a cute book with 2 amazing characters. Both have their own personalities and go on a journey of self-discovery which is amazing to read along with and see the Characters realise what was there from the start for the reader. 

The writing style is one of my favourites. The banter + sarcasm is on point, and I can always count on her to deliver the sweetest, cutest romance that I always enjoy reading. The perfect Spring, Summer Read!

Ian Brakspear

When I saw that there was another Hibbert Book I may have screwed and knew that I had to pick it up and give it a read it was fab to be back in a Perfectly cure Romance Book from the Brainchild of Talia Hibbert. This was the Perfect book for an Early Spring night watching the Sun set as I got lost in the world of Bradley & Celine! 

 

Bradley and Celine used to be best friends but then a rift happened between them and they're not friends. Not even close. When Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods and Bradley also goes, they must learn to get along again. Or at least work together for the first time in years. What they end up learning is maybe they don't dislike each other near as much as they've thought.

 

This was Hibbert’s first Young Adult book and I must admit that it took me a while to get use to the chance in direction and get used to the nature of YA books but that’s not to put you off this book as at its heart it’s a cute book with 2 amazing characters. Both have their own personalities and go on a journey of self-discovery which is amazing to read along with and see the Characters realise what was there from the start for the reader. 

 

The writing style is one of my favourites. The banter + sarcasm is on point, and I can always count on her to deliver the sweetest, cutest romance that I always enjoy reading. The perfect Spring, Summer Read!

Michaella 

Talia does it again!!!
The writing was witty, funny and sharp (just how I like it), and I like the development between Celine and Brad's relationship. Definitely a great read for getting started with Talia's books

this book was in fact unfairly cute and i loved every second of it 

Kimmy Hobden

SO GOOD! A fantastic YA novel by Talia Hibbert. The characters were so well written and I love the OCD rep. 

Kayl

Very cute and wholesome. It is YA which is very different than the Brown Sisters book but it was still good!

Brianna Foley

menna

I was slightly wary of starting this, because lately i haven't been enjoying YA romances like i used to, but BUT this was a talia hibbert book so i knew i had to give it a try and boy I'm really glad i did.

I really adored Celine and Brad's dynamic and banter, they're honestly the cutest!!! i loved seeing them being there for each other and being so supportive of one another!

Other than the romance aspect, i really loved the characters, and i found myself relating to them a lot. Watching them figure out what they want to do and going for it really affected me, especially watching Celine's go from wanting to do things to spite her father to going for the things she actually wants!! i felt really proud of her! 

Overall i had the best time reading this, it really pulled me in and made me have a hard time putting it down!!

Belle van Loon

Jess Griffin

this was so cute !! ex best friends to friends to lovers MWAH! the characters are in sixth form so it was nice to read about people similar in age to me. overall the story was just so fun and cute, highly recommend <3

I read and loved Hibbert's Brown sisters series, so I was looking forward to checking this release out, but it was underwhelming. I think YA contemporary isn't for me. I'm so far from high school, so I couldn't connect with the characters or what they were going through. I also found Celine a bit hard to root for, but I did enjoy her relationship with Brad. Like Brown's previous work, I appreciated the mental health representation and thought she handled it very well, but overall, it was a miss for me.

Heather Harrington

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

Diversity: Plus Size Black MC, Black Bisexual Male MC with OCD, Black characters, Character with Dyslexia, Character with Celiac Disease, Queer Character

Recommended For...: young adult readers, romance, contemporary, UK set, rivals to lovers, wilderness exploration, LGBT, Black MCs, mental health

Age Relevance: 16+ (anxiety attacks, cursing, religion, underage alcohol consumption, abelism, sexual content, romance)

Explanation of Above: There are a couple of short scenes showing some anxiety and anxiety attacks as well as some OCD tendencies and talk, especially with germs, dirt, etc. There is some cursing in this book. There is one mention of underage alcohol consumption. There is one slightly abelist comment. There is slight sexual content mentioned and there is some romance.

Synopsis: Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He's a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.

Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption--yet, she's still not cool enough for the popular kids' table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that's how Celine sees it.)

These days, there's nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she's surprised to find Brad right beside her.

Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

Review: For the most part I thought this book was fun. I loved the rivals to lovers storyline and it was a great fast paced read. The book had amazingly well written characters and it was so easy to get into the mindset of the two MCs. The duel POV felt very well written and helped drive the plot forward a lot of the times. The character voices felt distinct and the world building was well done as well. I also loved that this was a British YA romance book as I don’t think I’ve read many of those.

However, I did have some slight issues. I felt like some of the plot was a bit rushed in the beginning and that the book finally felt in pace with itself towards the end. Some of the references are a bit dated in this book and some of the writing was a bit disjointed. The writing also, at points, felt a bit forced as well. I also had a tiny concern about one of the MC’s fascination with conspiracy theories. It’s brought up a bit, supposedly what made her “famous” on TikTok, but it’s never really shown in her personality and the pun of the title never really came through. As someone who’s also a bit of a conspiracy theorist, that was one of the main draws of the book to me and I’m kinda sad that didn’t shine more in the book. There’s also a very slippery slope when it comes to conspiracy theorists and extremists, which I thought could have used maybe some commentary.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

 

Book: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

 

Author: Talia Hibbert

 

Book Series: Standalone

 

Rating: 4/5

 

Diversity: Plus Size Black MC, Black Bisexual Male MC with OCD, Black characters, Character with Dyslexia, Character with Celiac Disease, Queer Character

 

Recommended For...: young adult readers, romance, contemporary, UK set, rivals to lovers, wilderness exploration, LGBT, Black MCs, mental health

 

Publication Date: January 3, 2023

 

Genre: YA Romance

 

Age Relevance: 16+ (anxiety attacks, cursing, religion, underage alcohol consumption, abelism, sexual content, romance)

 

Explanation of Above: There are a couple of short scenes showing some anxiety and anxiety attacks as well as some OCD tendencies and talk, especially with germs, dirt, etc. There is some cursing in this book. There is one mention of underage alcohol consumption. There is one slightly abelist comment. There is slight sexual content mentioned and there is some romance.

 

Publisher: Joy Revolution

 

Pages: 336

 

Synopsis: Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He's a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.

 

Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption--yet, she's still not cool enough for the popular kids' table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that's how Celine sees it.)

 

These days, there's nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she's surprised to find Brad right beside her.

 

Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

 

Review: For the most part I thought this book was fun. I loved the rivals to lovers storyline and it was a great fast paced read. The book had amazingly well written characters and it was so easy to get into the mindset of the two MCs. The duel POV felt very well written and helped drive the plot forward a lot of the times. The character voices felt distinct and the world building was well done as well. I also loved that this was a British YA romance book as I don’t think I’ve read many of those.

 

However, I did have some slight issues. I felt like some of the plot was a bit rushed in the beginning and that the book finally felt in pace with itself towards the end. Some of the references are a bit dated in this book and some of the writing was a bit disjointed. The writing also, at points, felt a bit forced as well. I also had a tiny concern about one of the MC’s fascination with conspiracy theories. It’s brought up a bit, supposedly what made her “famous” on TikTok, but it’s never really shown in her personality and the pun of the title never really came through. As someone who’s also a bit of a conspiracy theorist, that was one of the main draws of the book to me and I’m kinda sad that didn’t shine more in the book. There’s also a very slippery slope when it comes to conspiracy theorists and extremists, which I thought could have used maybe some commentary.

 

Verdict: It was good overall!

Highly Suspicious, Unfairly Cute

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