Choosing Her

by Clara Nielsen

There are two things in life I know for hockey players are trouble and Caleb Cross is the worst of the bunch.

Once upon a time, I fell for a boy at a party. Then he ghosted me and started dating my sister.

Not exactly the start to a great love story.

Now it’s a year later, he’s single again, and he’s determined to win me over. Too bad I know better than to fall for his tricks.

But every time I reject him, he only becomes more determined to prove that he’s not just the player I think he is.

And I hate to admit it, but with every smile, every joke, every moment alone—he makes it harder and harder to remember why I hated him in the first place.

But how can I fall for the one guy I swore I’d never forgive?

Choosing Her is a sweet & wholesome YA romance set at boarding school. Get your copy today!

Genres: Romance, Young Adult

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 28, 2025

About the author

Clara Nielsen writes sweet & swoony YA romances set in high school, all about shy girls and the boys who are head-over-heels for them. When she’s not busy writing, you’ll probably find her out on the lake, putting together the perfect playlist, or sipping on a chai latte while daydreaming about her next story.

Reviews

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was WAYYYYY better than the first one!!!

[Hadley · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are not good for my sleep schedule it’s 1:30 in the morning and I just yet again binged one of this authors books!

Full review coming tomorrow.

[Amelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miscommunication is my least favorite trope ever

[Luna ꪆৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐

Before I begin I want to thank the author, Clara Nielsen, for giving me this ARC.

So, quick backstory: I received the ARC of the previous book in this series about a month ago, and I loved it. I didn't know that I was automatically signed up for the ARC team. When I received this ARC, I was really confused and didn't even know what it was going to be about.

This was a cute, short, but slow burn (like really slow burn), second chance story. I like Saylor and Crossy and their dynamic. I felt that this book was really focused on their story. Yes, I did read a bit about someone else in this universe, but I noticed it was mainly about Saylor and Crossy. They were really cute.

Overall, I liked this and thought they were really cute. I would definitely recommend this if you want to read a short but cute second chance slow burn.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright, at the start, I thought this would be a three star, the banter was BEYOND amazing, I was giggling and kicking my feet. Then the last 30% came and it me in the back, it killed me, and the last 15-10% was the ultimate yearning session. They both wanted one another and were teared apart from each other, it was painful, and beautiful. I love when romance books make me feel every single emotion ever. Saylor’s sister though, she wasn’t my favorite character ever… but other than her, these characters are so fun to read about and pretty relatable too! Definitely a good novel! 4.5 ⭐️

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these books even at almost 40. Caleb also know as crossy is on the hockey team and needs help in math if he wants to graduate next year . He needs a tutor but the only person available is the one person who hates him the most .

Rebecca “saylor” is a sophomore but is taking junior classes because her parents push her to due harder classes to make them look good . She also loves horseback riding .

Saylor met crossy at a party on New Year’s Eve but he lost her contact info . He tried to find her but was unsuccessful . Unfortunately he starts dating someone new that throws him a big surprise he wasn’t expecting . At the end I really wanted to strangle Taylor’s sister but maybe she will have her own happy ending in the coming books

I loved the nostalgia these books can bring you of the close knit friend groups and his the sports teams rule the school even in boarding school. I love all the personalities of the friends they make the book come alive. The plot isn’t overly complicated and easy to follow along. The books are short and sweet and good palette cleanser for when I need one . I always recommend these to anyone who likes to read ya. Available on kindle unlimited, ebook or paperback to purchase

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

"Choosing Her" is the second book in the Hartwell Academy series by Clara Nielsen. It's a sweet, slow-burn romance about second chances.

Saylor and Crossy’s relationship had a complicated past—they fell in love, but then he dated her sister, which led to plenty of misunderstandings.

However, it was heartwarming to see them work through their issues together, and I especially loved how Crossy tried to figure out Saylor’s favourite iced coffee flavours—it was such an adorable detail!

I really felt for Saylor, given the family she had to deal with, not just her parents but also her sister, but it was so satisfying to see her realize that her chosen family was what truly mattered.

That said, I did feel the story took a long time to develop, and when things finally fell into place, it all happened a bit too suddenly. A more even pacing would have made the journey even more enjoyable, and there were a few unresolved elements that left me confused.

Still, it was an adorable read, though I preferred the first one, but I’m definitely curious to see where the series goes next. ^-^

~I received an arc for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!~

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Choosing Her is Book 2 in the Hartwell Academy by Clara Nelsen. Saylor is crazy about Crossy. Crossy is crazy about Saylor, BUT, he dates her sister, Naomi. I found this Young Adult story to be very well written with excellent characters. I thought that Crossy was clever in getting Saylor to spend time with him. Jump into High School and dive into a sweet romance. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[books_by_bugs · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
AHH YAYYY ANOTHER HOCKEY ROMANCE THAT I LOOOOOVED!!!!! It defiently took me a minute to read because of my reading slump, but that’s okay! I loved this book sm and it had one of my fav tropes in it! (Second chance!) AND I EAT THEM UP!!
I srsly cannot wait for the next book to come out in this series! I’m so grateful I received this as an arc! There was some typos here and there, but that’s okay! The enteraintment is 5 stars! PLUS THE LETTER TROPEEEEE!!! AGHHHH!!! The friendship in these books is literally the

[Yasmine Boumeftah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Choosing Her was such a joy to read! From the very first chapter, I was hooked by the characters, they felt so real and lovable, especially the MC, who completely stole my heart.

Clara Nielsen has such a warm, engaging writing style that made me fly through the pages. The dialogue felt natural, the emotions hit just right, and the chemistry between the characters kept me smiling (and sometimes tearing up).

I’m already excited for the next book in the series and can’t wait to see where the story goes. Huge thanks to Clara for letting me read this one, it absolutely made my week!

[Agnessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm disheartened to say I hated this book. The boy, I will call him a boy because he acted like one knew it was a mistake to keep dating the sister even though he knew he loved the other one and waited until she broke up with him. Also her sister bragged that her ex, (boy main character) was a good kisser. How did the writer want everyone to know both sisters possibly kissed the same boy. Also the boy spend most of the book trying to get over her, the girl he knew he love. Sorry for my rant but it felt weird to me.

[apollonia! ౨ৎ · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star.. ⭐️ (dnf at 63%)



as i'm writing this, i'm currently reading ouabh. i could've sucked it up and read the remaining 37% but i didn't feel like it sooo.. usually i read 2-5 chapters before i read on my kindle, thsi book made me not want to use my kindle. i did enjoy finding her, but this wasn't it..

saylor is really nice buts he felt really pick me at times, i can't get over the fact that she can't admit her feelings for crossy..like why is your sister mad for you liking her ex? you can't control who you find attractive or not. and crossy omg i hate him. WE GET IT YOU HAVE FOUR SISTERS JEEZ 😭

overall didnt enjoy, probably will be my last read from clara nielsen. ://

[꣑ৎ sue (hatter-pendragon version) ꣑ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

a fairly easy and fast read. one thing i’d like to comment is that i don’t understand the pick me-ness of the heroine. like i truly think it was unnecessary for the narrative to demonize heroine’s sister—amounting her to a cartoony villain whose only redeeming quality is her beauty. i don’t know. it felt misogynistic to me.

[whimsical reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was just sad the happy parts were mostly the end. I get trying to avoid a guy but it was really only one night. And the sister don’t even get me started on that or the parents. This one wasn’t my fave but I liked the others

[Teya Teya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet well except the sister

This was an interesting love story. Started out great and then got side tracked with a misidentity. Then the story was him working to get her back the whole book and then having flashbacks to their first kiss.

[Magnolia⚔️🌿🌾🍄‍🟫 Everwren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was good, but not great. A lot of miscommunication and some little stupid things, like his dates or whatever being annoying. Did like the iced coffee scenes and playful bickering. Ehhh could be better. Very cliche.

[Karina]

why did i think giving this author another chance was a good idea ?

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, sweet romance about high schoolers and a big miscommunication creating tension and secrets. Missed a bit of depth in the characters and the back story, but it was cute to read

[mikayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

although I felt the ending was a bit rushed this book was extremely cutesy (like ALL Clara Nielsens other books). I'm convinced Clara is incapable of writing a bad book, she delivered once again!

[Lana Loftis · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐.5!!

[Aubrey Parr · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a cute book. I wish we would’ve seen more of their personal lives, for example more about her equestrian life and his hockey journey.

[alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Idk why everyone is giving this less stars than the first book cause this one was MILES better

[Julia Loucks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved finding her and from the little sneak peek of saylor and crossy when poppy finds the Polaroid from nye and I was excited to read this one but I was very disappointed at the end. All of my highlights and notes from this book were questioning the main characters and their actions. They were both very dramatic and making big scenes on things that did not need to be elaborated on. ultimately it was a hard read but I'm gonna give Clara another shot and read the third one (but by the looks of it it looks like it goes downhill from here)

[Elaina Uthlaut · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the cute story, but this was just a book I could nitpick without even trying. There was so many grammatical errors and also no levels to the story and it felt rushed. Saylor was valid in her reasonings for not liking cross but crossy just expected everything to be fine after he was a total d bag. Like bro u have 4 sisters how do you not know that what u did was wrong. And y did saylor get attacked by everyone and she said that lilah and poppy were her best friends but she told them nothing regarding herself.

[Carmen Dieleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Choosing her

Een onwijs leuk boek. Ik ben verliefd op dit verhaal. Het was zo schattig, romantisch en liefdevol! Ik heb echt genoten van dit verhaal. Ik las eerder deel 1 van deze serie en wist gelijk dat ik dit deel ook wilde gaan lezen. Ook dit deel stelde niet teleur. Ik vind het een romantische young adult zonder smut. Het leest heerlijk weg, het is fijn geschreven en is echt een comfort read.

Het verhaal zit mooi in elkaar. Je leert de personages goed kennen en hebben echt een plek in mijn hart gekregen. Door de fijne schrijfstijl zat ik lekker in het verhaal en ik kon het niet wegleggen. De personages vond ik geweldig, ze hadden echt chemie samen. Het plage naar elkaar maakte het boek nog leuker. Het verhaal gaat ook lekker soepel, waardoor het verhala heerlijk weglas.

Ik raad dit boek zeker aan om te gaan lezen! De hele serie eigenlijk ;)

🇬🇧An incredibly fun book. I am in love with this story. It was so cute, romantic and loving! I really enjoyed this story. I previously read part 1 of this series and knew immediately that I wanted to read this part too. This part did not disappoint either. I think it is a romantic young adult without smut. It is a great read, it is nicely written and is really a comfort read.

The story is beautifully constructed. You get to know the characters well and they really got a place in my heart. Because of the nice writing style I was really into the story and I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters, they really had chemistry together. The teasing towards each other made the book even more fun.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ sterren
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[alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was.. MESSY. what guy meets a girl, gets obsessed, writes her a LETTER just for said girls SISTER to find the letter and ask said guy OUT. all while sister KNOWS the guy was pining for HER SISTER.

crossy is lowk messy because how can he tell saylor he loves naomi and whatnot just to be like i never loved her. i only love YOU. dude. 😩 and the LETTERS. he’s loved her all. along.

our main female GIRLL BOSS, saylor. crossy is honestly such a sweetheart, i wish we had gotten more tutor x pupil involved the plot because i LOVE that trope.

family day? the way i wanted to hug her after hearing how she got overshadowed by her ASS OF A SISTER, hate naomi so, so much, and her avoidant parents? girl deserves everything!!

i love how two band members just so happen to be at family day, what a universe, it really is a reunion and i just LOVE the cameos we get from it. like why not just bring the whole gang? the clark kent vibes with the hats as their supposed “disguises”. or lilah and jude’s family wearing BUCKETS

the team was so fun, them setting crossy up with some.. QUESTIONABLE girls? one isn’t over her ex, one he forgets his name, i CANT- it’s too good.

bear and poppy are too cute and i honestly wanted more of their cameos to just see them together, like they’re ADORABLE. the girlhood in this book were also just so cute, i love their friendship and it’s so comforting to read about. clara nielsen is such a comfort author. i am CACKLING. and i smiling. i am a giddy broken mess. and we love it.

[Shayla Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Choosing Her
-Heartwell Academy Book #2-
by: Clara Nielsen
@claranielsenbooks

•My Review: 4 stars!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

~There are two things in life I know for hockey players are trouble and Caleb Cross is the worst of the bunch...

-Choosing Her, is a quick-read YA romance set at a boarding school. It’s about a girl named Sailor, who fell for a boy named Crossy at a party. They seemed to hit it off but, then he ghosted her and started dating her sister. Not exactly the start to a great love story... Now it’s a year later, he’s single again, and he’s determined to win her over and prove that he’s not a player. With every smile, every joke, every moment alone-he makes it harder and harder to remember why Sailor hated him in the first place. This is an enjoyable story about wanting to be seen, wanting to fit in, clearing up misunderstandings, and choosing to trust, forgive, and be open to something more. There is a good amount of humor, tension, swoony moments, and sparks of chemistry along the way! I enjoyed watching Sailor be brave, stand her ground, and find a place where she fits and is loved simply for who she exactly is.
🙌🏻📚😊

“I hope you know that I never stopped
loving you.”

-Content: some strained family dynamics, high school party scene with some implied innuendos, kisses only.

“It was always you.”

-I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

#choosingher
#claranielsen
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