Friday, February 9, 2024

How Not to Fall in Love

 


How Not to Fall in Love  by Jacqueine Firkins

Clarion Books, 9780358467144


After years of watching Bridezillas parade through her mom’s wedding shop, Harper is pretty convinced that “love” is something invented to sell stuff.  She wants nothing to do with it.  This is exactly opposite to the feelings of her neighbor and best friend, Theo, who falls in love on each first date.  The two offer to trade tips:  Theo will help Harper ace the ACT vocabulary test, and Harper will teach Theo how to avoid falling in love.  The vocabulary part goes well.  The rest…not so much.


Predictable but sweet boy-next-door romance made MUCH BETTER because the characters–including supporting characters–engage in honest, heartfelt conversations about self-care, birth control, and what they want (or think they want) from relationships.  Sweet and tactful sexual situations on the page.  


Birth control, friendship, high school, kissing, mental health, neurodivergence, off-page intimacy, on-page sex,  parents, rainbow+, Star Trek sex, straight friends

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