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Something New
Cassie Briggs never thought she’d be married at age sixteen—especially not to Dylan Meyers, her boyfriend’s best friend. Of course, they’re not married for real. It’s just a project for their Life Economics class, where each student is randomly paired up to manage finances, make important life decisions, and deal with catastrophic events.
It was supposed to be an easy A, but now Cassie is not so sure. Getting paired with Dylan is bad enough, but then Cassie’s boyfriend Elijah gets paired with his ex-girlfriend, Hannah: the former childhood sweetheart who broke his heart. The girl who took him months to get over—if he’s ever gotten over her at all.
When the project leads to inevitable heartbreak for Cassie, she begins to find comfort in the most unexpected place: her pretend husband...her now-ex-boyfriend’s best friend...the last guy in the world she should be growing closer to. And as Elijah vows to stop at nothing to win back Cassie’s heart—despite being the one to break it—Cassie soon finds herself facing her own important life decision: does she want to give Elijah a second chance? Or could she be ready for something new?
It was supposed to be an easy A, but now Cassie is not so sure. Getting paired with Dylan is bad enough, but then Cassie’s boyfriend Elijah gets paired with his ex-girlfriend, Hannah: the former childhood sweetheart who broke his heart. The girl who took him months to get over—if he’s ever gotten over her at all.
When the project leads to inevitable heartbreak for Cassie, she begins to find comfort in the most unexpected place: her pretend husband...her now-ex-boyfriend’s best friend...the last guy in the world she should be growing closer to. And as Elijah vows to stop at nothing to win back Cassie’s heart—despite being the one to break it—Cassie soon finds herself facing her own important life decision: does she want to give Elijah a second chance? Or could she be ready for something new?
394 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 9, 2020
401 people are currently reading
1575 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Abram
4 books309 followersAmanda Abram began her career as a writer at a young age, writing weird short stories for her elementary school writing class, and penning Full House fan fiction during her spare time. She later graduated to writing novel-length Harry Potter fan fictions before finally taking a shot at writing her own original novels. As a hopeless romantic who enjoys remembering a simpler time, she primarily writes Young Adult romantic comedies so she can relive her youth vicariously through her teenage characters.
Amanda lives in Maine with her boyfriend and slightly bonkers cat, Lily. When she’s not stressing over her chronic writer’s block, she can be found binging episodes of K-dramas on Netflix.
Amanda lives in Maine with her boyfriend and slightly bonkers cat, Lily. When she’s not stressing over her chronic writer’s block, she can be found binging episodes of K-dramas on Netflix.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
May 13, 2020
Predictable? Yes. Did I still enjoy it? Definitely.
Light summer read, perfect for that exam escapism. There was some drama, as expected in a YA contemporary romance. Very high school romance, but that´s exactly what I wanted.
Good character development, well-written. The only complain I might have is that it was too long, a lot of stories was dragged for longer than necessary, while others were skipped. Weird prioritizing but that´s just my opinion.
Light summer read, perfect for that exam escapism. There was some drama, as expected in a YA contemporary romance. Very high school romance, but that´s exactly what I wanted.
Good character development, well-written. The only complain I might have is that it was too long, a lot of stories was dragged for longer than necessary, while others were skipped. Weird prioritizing but that´s just my opinion.
June 27, 2020
This had some cute moments, but the book was far longer than it needed to be. I was pretty bored with it most of the time, but decided to push through. I did like Dylan and Cassie together, though.
April 6, 2020
This was one of the most awesome books I've read in a while. I had a smile on my face half the time, I even laughed now and then, I have a crush the size of Texas on Dylan, and the urge to go and read this all over again (and it was no quick thing, I'm telling you). I usually try and avoid really long books as of lately, but this one I HAD to read. It called to me. So, I've started reading, and just couldn't stop. The story was compelling, the characters amazing, the writing beautiful. There was humour, heartbreak, the craziest little sister, the sweetest boy in the world, the best mom, an amazing family, an obnoxious best girl friend, an annoying boyfriend/ex-boyfriend, the hottest "rebound" boyfriend, the most romantic dinner, the cutest nicknames...and I could go on forever, really. I loved Dylan with all my heart. He was amazing. Sweet, sexy, romantic, funny, adorable. And he was perfect for Cassie. I loved the sweet romantic things he did for her, from following her in his car to make sure she would get home ok, to bringing her a rose to apology.. and that first date dinner at his house... how romantic! And sweet!
Yeah, I've got a new book boyfriend now. Damnit but he's DREAMY!
Yeah, I've got a new book boyfriend now. Damnit but he's DREAMY!
May 3, 2021
I've been craving a cute high school romance, but really good read for so long. This wasn't it.
Give me strength. This was literally me through the whole book:
Warning, spoilers ahead. Kind of.
Annoyed. The one constant emotion I felt throughout this book. EVERYTHING annoyed me. The characters. The plot. The action. Everything was overdramatic and stupid. None of the characters were likeable. The characters were idiots. And the change from 'friends' to suddenly having feelings for each other was too abrupt. It didn't flow.
Cass was a pathetic MC. After catching her cheating boyfriend with his ex, she goes on to say she might give him another chance. That's not the worst part that got to me. *SPOILER* The worst part, was that after being caught cheating, her ex decided that was the right moment to declare his love for her for the first time.
Because it always takes being caught cheating to realise you love someone else right? I can't even express my irritation. It was so damn stupid. How can anyone be that stupid? There isn't really even a fallout. You catch your boyfriend whom you supposedly love cheating on you with his ex who he still apparently has feelings for, and all it takes is one gym session of beating a punching bag and then a few words of "I'm sorry. I messed up. I'm going to fix this Cass" and all your anger dissipates and you can be friends again? COME. ON.
Then there's the best friend. Um, excuse me if I'm wrong, but when your best friend just got cheated on, aren't you supposed to spend hours trash talking the ex and taking her mind off it? Instead, she's pushing her to go talk to her ex, as if there's somehow an explanation that could absolve him! She even goes as far as to make up an excuse that she cant drive her bff home, so she'll have to catch a ride with her cheating ex! WHAT KIND OF BEST FRIEND IS THIS?!
Maybe she had some saving grace, but honestly, that one stunt made her irredeemable for me🤷♀️
And the award for the most annoying character goes tooo..... The younger sister! The way she acts, you'd think she'd been neglected her whole life. "She gets attached easily". What kind of dumb excuse is that? She's so immature and sticks her nose where it doesn't belong. She's annoying and honestly, there wasn't a single scene of hers where I didn't want to slap her. I don't care if she's 12 or 25. You don't choose a guy over your sister. And it was her sisters own boyfriend she chose! Like what the hell?
I don't have the strength to rant anymore. I want to forget this book ever happened. Save yourself the time and effort. The amount of pent up frustration this book will give you is not worth it. I want to get out of this book slump I'm in. Any good romance recommendations to get my mind off this crap would be highly appreciated right now.
Did I mention how annoying this book was? Yep. Really annoying.
Give me strength. This was literally me through the whole book:
Warning, spoilers ahead. Kind of.
Annoyed. The one constant emotion I felt throughout this book. EVERYTHING annoyed me. The characters. The plot. The action. Everything was overdramatic and stupid. None of the characters were likeable. The characters were idiots. And the change from 'friends' to suddenly having feelings for each other was too abrupt. It didn't flow.
Cass was a pathetic MC. After catching her cheating boyfriend with his ex, she goes on to say she might give him another chance. That's not the worst part that got to me. *SPOILER* The worst part, was that after being caught cheating, her ex decided that was the right moment to declare his love for her for the first time.
Because it always takes being caught cheating to realise you love someone else right? I can't even express my irritation. It was so damn stupid. How can anyone be that stupid? There isn't really even a fallout. You catch your boyfriend whom you supposedly love cheating on you with his ex who he still apparently has feelings for, and all it takes is one gym session of beating a punching bag and then a few words of "I'm sorry. I messed up. I'm going to fix this Cass" and all your anger dissipates and you can be friends again? COME. ON.
Then there's the best friend. Um, excuse me if I'm wrong, but when your best friend just got cheated on, aren't you supposed to spend hours trash talking the ex and taking her mind off it? Instead, she's pushing her to go talk to her ex, as if there's somehow an explanation that could absolve him! She even goes as far as to make up an excuse that she cant drive her bff home, so she'll have to catch a ride with her cheating ex! WHAT KIND OF BEST FRIEND IS THIS?!
Maybe she had some saving grace, but honestly, that one stunt made her irredeemable for me🤷♀️
And the award for the most annoying character goes tooo..... The younger sister! The way she acts, you'd think she'd been neglected her whole life. "She gets attached easily". What kind of dumb excuse is that? She's so immature and sticks her nose where it doesn't belong. She's annoying and honestly, there wasn't a single scene of hers where I didn't want to slap her. I don't care if she's 12 or 25. You don't choose a guy over your sister. And it was her sisters own boyfriend she chose! Like what the hell?
I don't have the strength to rant anymore. I want to forget this book ever happened. Save yourself the time and effort. The amount of pent up frustration this book will give you is not worth it. I want to get out of this book slump I'm in. Any good romance recommendations to get my mind off this crap would be highly appreciated right now.
Did I mention how annoying this book was? Yep. Really annoying.
May 15, 2021
I feel like I repeated the same 100 pages over and over again.
And I somehow still liked it?
And it was maybe, perhaps worth it?
I have no idea what my thought process is behaving like. Or if there’s any present.probably not
What was I talking about? Oh right, my lack of energy. No wait, that’s wasn’t it.
It’s 12:22 am, my brain cells are not thinking right.
Now, I shall go and get slapped with cheeses and unrealistic romantic scenarios in between dreams.
Because yeah, this book will influence those.
I still have no idea what I was going to say-
Got it, this book made me conflicted.
And I somehow still liked it?
And it was maybe, perhaps worth it?
I have no idea what my thought process is behaving like. Or if there’s any present.
What was I talking about? Oh right, my lack of energy. No wait, that’s wasn’t it.
It’s 12:22 am, my brain cells are not thinking right.
Now, I shall go and get slapped with cheeses and unrealistic romantic scenarios in between dreams.
Because yeah, this book will influence those.
I still have no idea what I was going to say-
Got it, this book made me conflicted.
July 15, 2023
i’m literally speechless
May 28, 2020
“We haven’t even been married for two minutes yet and you’re already checking out other guys.”
“Morning, Elijah. Morning, sweet pea.” He winked and flashed me a lopsided grin.
“You know you two aren’t actually married,” Elijah said, punching him in the shoulder. “You don’t need to keep giving her cute nicknames.”
“Yes, I do, because it annoys her. It’s my obligation as her pretend husband to annoy her. Were those instructions not included in your packet?”
“Is Elijah getting lucky tonight?” Dylan teased, wiggling his eyebrows.
“I’m spending tonight with you,” I reminded him.
His eyes widened with amusement. “Am I getting lucky tonight?”
“But I wanted to. I hang out with the guys all the time, and we always do the same things: go out for pizza, play video games, hit up a party if there’s one going on. Besides, we have an agreement in our group that invitations from pretty girls always supersede any plans we may have with each other.”
True love is closer than you think.
“What’s up?” I asked him, unintentionally lowering my gaze to the rose he was holding in his hand.
“I was told this is what husbands are supposed to do for their wives when they want to apologize for something stupid they’ve done. I wasn’t sure if it also applied to pretend husbands, but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.”
“So, red roses are a symbol of love. Lust. Desire. I’m telling you, that boy wants you.”
He leaned back in, pressing his mouth against my ear, and whispered, “It’s you, Cass. I want you.”
“Of course, you don’t. You’re the most oblivious person I’ve ever met. Can’t you see? Don’t you know what’s going on here? I want you, but I can’t have you, and i’ doing whatever I need to do to accept that. If that means spending my entire party with Claire so that I stop thinking about you for one second, then that’s what I need to do. I can’t have you telling me that you’re jealous of that, because it just makes everything worse.” He stopped, his shoulders slumping, his eyes pleading. “Cass, I’m trying to get over you. Just let me get over you, okay?”
“What I want is to be with the girl I love.” He turned to face me, and when his pained eyes connected with mine, we were suddenly the only two people in the hallway. Maybe even the world.
“I love you, Cass,” he said, his voice low and tired.
And whatever obstacles or catastrophic events life decided to throw at us in the future, we would be ready.
And we would conquer them together.
What can I say about this book?!?! I absolutely love it! I love Amanda Abram’s writing. I laughed, I smiled, I cried while reading this book. I read the book on the Kindle Unlimited, and right after I finished reading it, I brought my own copy. Each I knew that I was going to buy my own copy not even halfway through the book. The story was compelling, the characters were amazing, and of course I fell for Dylan. Dylan is a charmer and a sweetheart! And those nicknames! There was humor, heartbreak, relationships, friendships, family, school drama, I could go on and on. Do yourself and favor and read this book! And do yourself another favor, read Amanda Abram’s other book, Challenge Accepted.
“Morning, Elijah. Morning, sweet pea.” He winked and flashed me a lopsided grin.
“You know you two aren’t actually married,” Elijah said, punching him in the shoulder. “You don’t need to keep giving her cute nicknames.”
“Yes, I do, because it annoys her. It’s my obligation as her pretend husband to annoy her. Were those instructions not included in your packet?”
“Is Elijah getting lucky tonight?” Dylan teased, wiggling his eyebrows.
“I’m spending tonight with you,” I reminded him.
His eyes widened with amusement. “Am I getting lucky tonight?”
“But I wanted to. I hang out with the guys all the time, and we always do the same things: go out for pizza, play video games, hit up a party if there’s one going on. Besides, we have an agreement in our group that invitations from pretty girls always supersede any plans we may have with each other.”
True love is closer than you think.
“What’s up?” I asked him, unintentionally lowering my gaze to the rose he was holding in his hand.
“I was told this is what husbands are supposed to do for their wives when they want to apologize for something stupid they’ve done. I wasn’t sure if it also applied to pretend husbands, but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.”
“So, red roses are a symbol of love. Lust. Desire. I’m telling you, that boy wants you.”
He leaned back in, pressing his mouth against my ear, and whispered, “It’s you, Cass. I want you.”
“Of course, you don’t. You’re the most oblivious person I’ve ever met. Can’t you see? Don’t you know what’s going on here? I want you, but I can’t have you, and i’ doing whatever I need to do to accept that. If that means spending my entire party with Claire so that I stop thinking about you for one second, then that’s what I need to do. I can’t have you telling me that you’re jealous of that, because it just makes everything worse.” He stopped, his shoulders slumping, his eyes pleading. “Cass, I’m trying to get over you. Just let me get over you, okay?”
“What I want is to be with the girl I love.” He turned to face me, and when his pained eyes connected with mine, we were suddenly the only two people in the hallway. Maybe even the world.
“I love you, Cass,” he said, his voice low and tired.
And whatever obstacles or catastrophic events life decided to throw at us in the future, we would be ready.
And we would conquer them together.
What can I say about this book?!?! I absolutely love it! I love Amanda Abram’s writing. I laughed, I smiled, I cried while reading this book. I read the book on the Kindle Unlimited, and right after I finished reading it, I brought my own copy. Each I knew that I was going to buy my own copy not even halfway through the book. The story was compelling, the characters were amazing, and of course I fell for Dylan. Dylan is a charmer and a sweetheart! And those nicknames! There was humor, heartbreak, relationships, friendships, family, school drama, I could go on and on. Do yourself and favor and read this book! And do yourself another favor, read Amanda Abram’s other book, Challenge Accepted.
April 28, 2020
Love this author
I loved this book, but I have to say the main character, Cassie, really irritated me cause she was so damn wishy washy, but I knew it was for drama for the book. It was well written and I got so involved with the characters I found myself talking to the book... I have read everyone of Amanda's books so far and look forward to what she writes next.
I loved this book, but I have to say the main character, Cassie, really irritated me cause she was so damn wishy washy, but I knew it was for drama for the book. It was well written and I got so involved with the characters I found myself talking to the book... I have read everyone of Amanda's books so far and look forward to what she writes next.
October 18, 2022
This had one of the synopses that made me question why I added this to my TBR list in the first place. From the description, I thought I was going into a drama llama situation.
Not only was Hannah Bowen one of the prettiest, most popular girls at our school, she was also Elijah’s ex-girlfriend. The ex-girlfriend who had dumped him and broken his heart last year. The ex-girlfriend who had taken him months to get over. The ex-girlfriend who was now his wife.
Cassie is in Life Economics (and I would love to point out that every high school needs this class) when she is paired up with Dylan. Dylan is her boyfriend, Elijah’s best friend. Awkward! Even more awkward is that her boyfriend is now paired up with his ex-girlfriend who broke his heart big time.
I will be the first to admit that I liked this more than I thought I was going to. I really love how the heroine was written. She stands up for herself. She doesn’t just rush into stupid situations just because she’s hurt. The hero is thoughtful and caring. I really loved this duo. They were stinking cute and may I add relationship goals.
Not only was Hannah Bowen one of the prettiest, most popular girls at our school, she was also Elijah’s ex-girlfriend. The ex-girlfriend who had dumped him and broken his heart last year. The ex-girlfriend who had taken him months to get over. The ex-girlfriend who was now his wife.
Cassie is in Life Economics (and I would love to point out that every high school needs this class) when she is paired up with Dylan. Dylan is her boyfriend, Elijah’s best friend. Awkward! Even more awkward is that her boyfriend is now paired up with his ex-girlfriend who broke his heart big time.
I will be the first to admit that I liked this more than I thought I was going to. I really love how the heroine was written. She stands up for herself. She doesn’t just rush into stupid situations just because she’s hurt. The hero is thoughtful and caring. I really loved this duo. They were stinking cute and may I add relationship goals.
August 30, 2025
Finished this book 10 days ago and still can’t get it outta my head🙉 I’m going crazy I loved it so much then ended up reading all of Amanda Abrams books. She’s such a talented author that writes the cutest romance novels. I NEED MORE BOOKS AMANDA!!💗
June 29, 2020
Predictable but cute. Dylan and Cassie together were good, her ex/his best-friend annoyed me.
Acquired via KU.
May 3, 2021
3.5* Simple and cliché, but cute ♥️
November 4, 2021
Should I leave a review? Idk😂 let me knowwwww:))
October 17, 2022
Oh my gosh, at first, this book was giving me such Wattpad book vibes (fine, the entire book was) but it was actually sooo good!
Yes, it is cliche, yes, it is cheesy, and yes I still loved it.
Gosh, I love enemies to lovers and I've read a few friends to lovers, but this one was good!
Have to say, Challenge Accepted is still my favourite book by Amanda Abram because although it is also cliched, I think that one was just better written, but this one wasn't too bad either!
I love sweet romance!!!
I did find the main character a bit annoying at certain parts and felt some scenes were a bit unnecessary, but overall, I have to say, Amanda writes some very good characters with believable, realistic, and good personalities who know what they want and can stand up for themselves and arent all, 'Oh I'm like sooo different from everyone else, oh my gosh, just notice me!' kind of annoying. The Male leads are also so sweet and they are not toxic whatsoever, and I am in love with that.
WHY CANT I FIND SOMEONE LIKE DYLAN?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Would definitely recommend this book!
Yes, it is cliche, yes, it is cheesy, and yes I still loved it.
Gosh, I love enemies to lovers and I've read a few friends to lovers, but this one was good!
Have to say, Challenge Accepted is still my favourite book by Amanda Abram because although it is also cliched, I think that one was just better written, but this one wasn't too bad either!
I love sweet romance!!!
I did find the main character a bit annoying at certain parts and felt some scenes were a bit unnecessary, but overall, I have to say, Amanda writes some very good characters with believable, realistic, and good personalities who know what they want and can stand up for themselves and arent all, 'Oh I'm like sooo different from everyone else, oh my gosh, just notice me!' kind of annoying. The Male leads are also so sweet and they are not toxic whatsoever, and I am in love with that.
WHY CANT I FIND SOMEONE LIKE DYLAN?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Would definitely recommend this book!
March 8, 2021
I'm such a sucker for these types of books haha
July 16, 2023
Earlier rating : 5 stars
Dnf @31%
0 stars. No heart.
What was I thinking!? It's been only an year since I last read this book, and I remember that time I liked it so much that I wrote a whole paragraph on its praise to the author even though they don't reply on Wattpad, I sent it to her anyway, telling that it's the best book I read on Wattpad after a long time. I thought this was one of the books that was so underrated behind all those stupid ones like After or idk.. Badboy and Tomboy?
And then I re-read it (or tried to). It's so pathetic! Unoriginal, predictable, lack of depth and 2D characters borrowed from Twilight! The no. of times several words are repeated is awful!!
Literally, it's OKAY, author. I understand, they smile! I get it.
Giggle : 37
Blink : 59
Stare : 91
Grin : 107
SMILE : 242
Oh God, I am so disappointed. Why was this on my most awaited TBR pile!? This.. (I am so sorry) GARBAGE!
This kind of makes me understand that my taste in books has vastly changed over these past few months. The month of September, I gave myself the "Wattpad Challenge", where I only read Wattpad books. It was horrendous! I have never in my life had a worse month in reading and I fell into a pretty bad slump.
I can't imagine ever recommending this to anyone, not because it's hateful, but because it adds absolutely nothing to the world of literature, no story, no plot, not even a single character or a line that's it's own. The irony! (Look at the book's name). It's a cliche story about an uninteresting, dimension-less bimbo who gets her heart broken (Oh shut up!) because of her break-up and she's so confused because she doesn't want him back but her hipster friend who literally controls her life (clothes to boyfriends to food to movies) decides she does. And then there's a guy who's said to have daddy issues and that doesn't effect his hotness (good) or mental health (doesn't matter bcs Wattpad has a knack for "Romance is the remedy of everything" motto). Rather lame attempts to make him seem cute and a boy with inexistent past. Whole of the book, everyone's so kind and they ship them (theyareshocutetogether!!), ofcourse she works as a barista and the owner is her guardian angel (OF-COURSE!!), and there's only one evil that randomly comes in because she wants to steal our guy and she also happens to be a slut. Blah blah blah.. you know they end up together.
Wtf even. But I get it. 14 year olds who are bored with fanfictions will eat it up.
Dnf @31%
0 stars. No heart.
What was I thinking!? It's been only an year since I last read this book, and I remember that time I liked it so much that I wrote a whole paragraph on its praise to the author even though they don't reply on Wattpad, I sent it to her anyway, telling that it's the best book I read on Wattpad after a long time. I thought this was one of the books that was so underrated behind all those stupid ones like After or idk.. Badboy and Tomboy?
And then I re-read it (or tried to). It's so pathetic! Unoriginal, predictable, lack of depth and 2D characters borrowed from Twilight! The no. of times several words are repeated is awful!!
Literally, it's OKAY, author. I understand, they smile! I get it.
Giggle : 37
Blink : 59
Stare : 91
Grin : 107
SMILE : 242
Oh God, I am so disappointed. Why was this on my most awaited TBR pile!? This.. (I am so sorry) GARBAGE!
This kind of makes me understand that my taste in books has vastly changed over these past few months. The month of September, I gave myself the "Wattpad Challenge", where I only read Wattpad books. It was horrendous! I have never in my life had a worse month in reading and I fell into a pretty bad slump.
I can't imagine ever recommending this to anyone, not because it's hateful, but because it adds absolutely nothing to the world of literature, no story, no plot, not even a single character or a line that's it's own. The irony! (Look at the book's name). It's a cliche story about an uninteresting, dimension-less bimbo who gets her heart broken (Oh shut up!) because of her break-up and she's so confused because she doesn't want him back but her hipster friend who literally controls her life (clothes to boyfriends to food to movies) decides she does. And then there's a guy who's said to have daddy issues and that doesn't effect his hotness (good) or mental health (doesn't matter bcs Wattpad has a knack for "Romance is the remedy of everything" motto). Rather lame attempts to make him seem cute and a boy with inexistent past. Whole of the book, everyone's so kind and they ship them (theyareshocutetogether!!), ofcourse she works as a barista and the owner is her guardian angel (OF-COURSE!!), and there's only one evil that randomly comes in because she wants to steal our guy and she also happens to be a slut. Blah blah blah.. you know they end up together.
Wtf even. But I get it. 14 year olds who are bored with fanfictions will eat it up.
March 4, 2021
Something New was a cute and fun high school romance read. It was pretty cliched and predictable yes, but oh so funny and adorable. The characters were so likeable and just grew on me. Friends to lovers is a trope I adore and Cassie and Dylan didn't fail to show me why! They were so good together and perfect for each other. Lauren was such a good friend to Cassie and though I love the main leads, Lauren stole the show for me. I am so happy with how things turned out well for everyone in the end. I'd say this book was a bit dragged had I not enjoyed being with the characters for a while longer. Dylan was so hot and sweet, damn. That boy opens his mouth and I can't help but smile. If only I had had fun projects that paired me up with hot guys in school rather than having to do it all on my own because my partners were even lazier asses than me ugh. Anyways, I loved this book and definitely recommend it if you're looking for a light and sweet romance read!
March 8, 2022
I read this book on the Moments app. I had no idea it was on Kindle, but whoa, I am excited! I devoured this book in two days on the app. The banter back and forth between Dylan and the heroine just, ugh, it melted my heart. The characters came across as believable, and I literally was swooning at the dialogue almost every second. I almost never do that. It was just so darned adorable, and I loved the premise. I am docking a star (for now) because I didn't quite understand why our main character did what she did in the lead up to the end, but I am thinking I will reread the book in the Kindle app and see whether or not her decision makes more sense (The Moments app has some major issues, and I imagine the developers probably cut some scenes or inner dialogue).
July 4, 2020
Even though Something New is also cliche and predictable as the previous books, I like this one better. It was a cute, sweet high school romance with a little bit of teen angst.
Looking forward to this author's next books!
Looking forward to this author's next books!
June 17, 2024
3,5 ⭐️
Me gustó mucho que sea tan honesto y refleje los sentimientos y conflictos que tenemos en la adolescencia , me encanta esta autora y para ser el primer libro que escribió fue bastante increíble, sólo le bajé la calificación porque en algún momento lo sentí demasiado largo.
Me gustó mucho que sea tan honesto y refleje los sentimientos y conflictos que tenemos en la adolescencia , me encanta esta autora y para ser el primer libro que escribió fue bastante increíble, sólo le bajé la calificación porque en algún momento lo sentí demasiado largo.
June 13, 2020
Warning, this book may cause you to stay up significantly past your bedtime without realizing it.
Adorable. Recommended.
Adorable. Recommended.
June 29, 2022
Something New. This book was absolutely stunning. I've re-read the book 3 times now and I still feel like I can go for another round. Every time I read it, I find something new in the pages. Too bad I couldn't find a paperback though; I'd love to have it as a part of my collection.
Cassie is a character that I can relate with (not completely 'cause I've never had a boyfriend in my life ;), but in terms of thoughts and emotions). Her decision to break up with Elijah was right; not only because he cheated on her but also because, it wasn't really true love. Her relationship with him seemed to be unstable right from the beginning 'cause she had this lingering doubt in the back of her mind about whether or not he had moved on from his ex. And clearly, her doubt was clarified when he cheated. And of course, her relationship with Dylan was something that should have happened right at the start. Thank god for the Life economics project or else they would never have gotten to know each other.
Dylan is a really really sweet guy. He is the perfectly imperfect person that someone like me would definitely want in their life. He is genuine and kind and loves Cassie for whom she is. And I love him for whom he is :)
Overall, in terms of swoon and romantic lines, I'd give this book a hundred because it deserves nothing less. And I loved the line that Cassie says towards the end of the book (it's in one of the last few chapters and sorry for not remembering the exact lines): "It took 7 months and kissing another girl for Elijah to realize that he loves me. But for Dylan, it only took a few weeks and the idea of moving to a city thousands of miles away."
Love the book and the characters ❤
Cassie is a character that I can relate with (not completely 'cause I've never had a boyfriend in my life ;), but in terms of thoughts and emotions). Her decision to break up with Elijah was right; not only because he cheated on her but also because, it wasn't really true love. Her relationship with him seemed to be unstable right from the beginning 'cause she had this lingering doubt in the back of her mind about whether or not he had moved on from his ex. And clearly, her doubt was clarified when he cheated. And of course, her relationship with Dylan was something that should have happened right at the start. Thank god for the Life economics project or else they would never have gotten to know each other.
Dylan is a really really sweet guy. He is the perfectly imperfect person that someone like me would definitely want in their life. He is genuine and kind and loves Cassie for whom she is. And I love him for whom he is :)
Overall, in terms of swoon and romantic lines, I'd give this book a hundred because it deserves nothing less. And I loved the line that Cassie says towards the end of the book (it's in one of the last few chapters and sorry for not remembering the exact lines): "It took 7 months and kissing another girl for Elijah to realize that he loves me. But for Dylan, it only took a few weeks and the idea of moving to a city thousands of miles away."
Love the book and the characters ❤
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2025
A quote from the book. Very meta: "Gosh, you sound like a parent."
I still can't stand the way these teenagers sound.
Story seriously dragged, so it took me some time to finish. The build up was non-existant. One moment they were 100% just friend, and not in a 'I need to convince myself way', the next they can no longer keep their feelings inside. I know they were supposedly developed during their time as friends, but the change was just too abrupt. I thought the change from I barely like you/know you to friends was also rushed, but that didn't bother me as much, until..
***spoilers ahead***
...we find out they've been hanging out with the four of them to "study" on a weekly basis for basically the whole duration of the FL's relationship with Elijah. That revelation made it hard to understand why they weren't friends yet at the start of the story. There is nothing instrinsically unlikeable about them. So it's a bit odd. The way they were introduced in the beginning made me definitely think they barely knew each other + disliked each other.
IMO, it would have been more believable/fit the story better if it was a new thing Elijah came up with, in a 'let's do this thing friends normally do' kind of way to spend some time with the FL, without her feeling awkward about being invited.
Overal, again, premise was good, but suffered from a poor execution.
*English is not my native language. If I sound harsh, it's because I'm Dutch. Kidding aside, I really want to like these books. Premise-wise, they are exactly what I'm looking for. The characters are generally very likable and they're not one-dimensional.
I still can't stand the way these teenagers sound.
Story seriously dragged, so it took me some time to finish. The build up was non-existant. One moment they were 100% just friend, and not in a 'I need to convince myself way', the next they can no longer keep their feelings inside. I know they were supposedly developed during their time as friends, but the change was just too abrupt. I thought the change from I barely like you/know you to friends was also rushed, but that didn't bother me as much, until..
***spoilers ahead***
...we find out they've been hanging out with the four of them to "study" on a weekly basis for basically the whole duration of the FL's relationship with Elijah. That revelation made it hard to understand why they weren't friends yet at the start of the story. There is nothing instrinsically unlikeable about them. So it's a bit odd. The way they were introduced in the beginning made me definitely think they barely knew each other + disliked each other.
IMO, it would have been more believable/fit the story better if it was a new thing Elijah came up with, in a 'let's do this thing friends normally do' kind of way to spend some time with the FL, without her feeling awkward about being invited.
Overal, again, premise was good, but suffered from a poor execution.
*English is not my native language. If I sound harsh, it's because I'm Dutch. Kidding aside, I really want to like these books. Premise-wise, they are exactly what I'm looking for. The characters are generally very likable and they're not one-dimensional.
March 12, 2021
4.5 stars
I really liked this book, mostly because it was a cheesy-romance that made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. Even thought I have never been in a relationship, if I was, I am pretty sure that I would overthink and over analyze everything going on just like Cassie. Her self-doubt, jealousy, and anxiety through the book made this book seem more realistic than other romance books I've read. (And trust me, I have read a LOT.) I think this book perfectly showed the fear behind a relationship with perfect potential. Through most of the book, I wanted to slam Elijah against a wall for being a jerk, as well as his friends and I did think that Dylan going to leave was a bit much, but it all added to the plot. I absolutely adored how Lauren and Hannah basically got their happy endings, even though they weren't the main characters/in the love triangle. Overall, I really like Dylan, especially the way he treated Cassie's family, even though he was going through something hard at home. This book took my basically a day to read, but had a couple of weeks problems and emotions woven carefully through the story. All-in-all, this book was a win. Now, I want a boyfriend:)
P.S: Dylan's nicknames and the whole fake-marriage things was just perfect. Down below are a list of the best nicknames.
-sweetie -bae-boo-babe-baby-honey-sugar-pumpkin face-wifey-Briggs-dear-sweet pea-snookums-boo bear......I think you get it.
I really liked this book, mostly because it was a cheesy-romance that made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. Even thought I have never been in a relationship, if I was, I am pretty sure that I would overthink and over analyze everything going on just like Cassie. Her self-doubt, jealousy, and anxiety through the book made this book seem more realistic than other romance books I've read. (And trust me, I have read a LOT.) I think this book perfectly showed the fear behind a relationship with perfect potential. Through most of the book, I wanted to slam Elijah against a wall for being a jerk, as well as his friends and I did think that Dylan going to leave was a bit much, but it all added to the plot. I absolutely adored how Lauren and Hannah basically got their happy endings, even though they weren't the main characters/in the love triangle. Overall, I really like Dylan, especially the way he treated Cassie's family, even though he was going through something hard at home. This book took my basically a day to read, but had a couple of weeks problems and emotions woven carefully through the story. All-in-all, this book was a win. Now, I want a boyfriend:)
P.S: Dylan's nicknames and the whole fake-marriage things was just perfect. Down below are a list of the best nicknames.
-sweetie -bae-boo-babe-baby-honey-sugar-pumpkin face-wifey-Briggs-dear-sweet pea-snookums-boo bear......I think you get it.
July 4, 2020
Okay WOW!!!!! This book was literally so cute and it was just the fluffy read I needed. The couple of YA Contemporary romance books I read recently on my kindle have been toot terse and the characters quickly formed a relationship. THIS BOOK really told the WHOLE romance story though. Dylan was literally so so sweet in this book, the goofy things he would say to Cassie were the best, including the fun nicknames like snookums, and boo boo bear, and Briggs. I love that he took the project so seriously, I saw him as SO SO HOT IN MY HEAD. Honestly, I got really irritated with Lauren in the beginning when she was continually telling Cassie not to go for Dylan and that it would all turn out to be a mess, like, can you be supportive for your best friend? But I guess it made sense because she didn't want the whole situation to explode. The cute scenes I got to experience in this book were a BIG WOW!!! UGHHHHHHHH like when he watched die hard with her or made lasagna and threw cheese at each other, or WHEN HE WOULD CALL HER BEAUTIFUL OR PRETTY OR ADORABLE?!?!?!?!?!? He would say these little cute sweet affectionate things and I swear I would put my kindle down and squeal and feel so mushy inside because OF HOW CUTE IT WAS!!!!! Definitely best book I have read since I got a kindle a few days ago (cause all the libraries are closed because of corona and i'm too poor to buy a bunch of books:( )
August 15, 2025
ok.. WOW. like this book was just a fun light hearted book and for some strange reason, the second book EVER to make me cry. maybe it’s from the first break up THEN then second break up THEN the boys fighting THEN dylan moving away because by then end, i had tears and boy, was i happy to see dylan again during formal. honestly loved the plot idea, with them being “parents” and having to do all these things which i think were so fun. cassie and dylan were like amazing. LAUREN WAS THE BEST. like true bff for life here, independent woman for life you know!! HATED elijah like this kid cheated, then became nice for forgiveness then found out and turned his and his friends on dylan WHEN HE CHEATED. like NOPE hate his reasoning and loved it when cassie finally did something about it!! hannah is a complicated soul. i actually liked her character and she wasn’t … horrible? loved cassie’s family dynamic and how they were all so welcoming and of course, caitlin with a C. dylan’s family however, GIVE HIM A HUG. the kinda reverse found family where they were close and you watch their little group have those funny and awkward moments I LOVED. but like again, ELIJAH SHUT YER TRAP. like all he does is yap and he doesn’t even get the hint. kudos to jada, loved her and CAN U BE MY BOSS??? i loved this book. favourite amanda abram book so far!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2020
Seriously boring
I loved the authors first two books and was excited to read this book. This book had to be the most boring teen romance book ever. There was so much empty filler and the story dragged on and on and on forever. It had the most boring and cliche story line ever. I had to skim the last part to get to the end. And what do you know...same cliche ending. Seriously I dont even understand how it was given 5 stars.
I loved the authors first two books and was excited to read this book. This book had to be the most boring teen romance book ever. There was so much empty filler and the story dragged on and on and on forever. It had the most boring and cliche story line ever. I had to skim the last part to get to the end. And what do you know...same cliche ending. Seriously I dont even understand how it was given 5 stars.
June 17, 2021
As soon as I read the name "Elijah" I knew damn well she should have left his ass. Why would anybody willing be with someone named Elijah?
“If you’re so worried that Elijah is going to stray and make his way back to Hannah, maybe you should think of some ways to, you know, keep him interested.” No, it's not your fault when somebody cheats on you. Let them go. They are a waste of time, you don't need to change yourself. You don't need to exhaust yourself by trying to keep them interested. It's not worth it.
“Cassie.” Elijah pushed off the side of the building and stalked over to me, placing his hands on my shoulders. He lowered his head, so we were at eye level with one another. “When I saw you outside the car, I sobered up. I immediately came to the realization that I don’t want to be with Hannah. I want to be with you.” Girl, why are standing there and listening to his bullshit. Kick him right between his legs, bitch.
“I don’t know, Cass. The guy is pretty broken up about all this. I think he’s genuinely in love with you. If he still had feelings for Hannah like you believe he does, why isn’t he back with her already? Obviously, she still likes him and would agree to get back together, so why aren’t they back together?” Shut the fuck up! Why do y'all want her to get back with that cheating bastard?! WTF!!!
I gotta be honest, I lowkey do not like this Lauren chick. I think her bits of advice just not that great for a friend.
“Look, Dylan, I appreciate your advice, but I’m going to that party with Lauren tomorrow, and I’m going to meet the guy Tiana wants to set me up with. End of discussion.” Bitch, don't be stupid. You know what can happen to girls at parties. You can't trust any of these boys, tf are you acting like he's the bad guy?
Lauren chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes darted between me and Elijah. “Cassie, I forgot to tell you I can’t give you a ride today.” I could tell from the tone of her voice and the look on her face that she was lying. See, do y'all see that. This Lauren bitch is pissing me off.
You know what, our main girl is also making me fucking angry. This bitch is about to catch these hands for being a fucking moron. She gave that cheating bastard a second chance, and then decided she is going to a party to meet a bunch of dudes. Something bad could happen to her, yes I am thinking sexual assault, like omg. TF!!
Elijah, with a guitar strapped to his shoulder, was slowly making his way over to our lunch table; his friends following behind him in a straight line. No. Stop. You're embarrassing yourself. I am getting second-hand embarrassment from reading this.
“Yes,” I finally blurted out, reopening my eyes. I didn’t even know that was my answer before I said it, and the simple word felt sour on my tongue as it rolled off. OMFG!! I am going to punch this bitch in the face! She is really starting to get on my fucking nerves.
Okay, Lauren is not that bad, for now. She is getting better, but I still have those negative feelings towards her.
“Elijah loves you,” she continued. “I know what he did was wrong, but what happened that night at the party meant nothing to either one of us. I swear. He is devastated that things are over between the two of you. I know you’re still hurting from everything, but Cassie, Elijah is a good guy. And if there is any part of you that still has feelings for him, I think you should give your relationship another shot. Don’t give up on him yet.” No, fuck off.
Elijah's cheating ass has no right to get mad at Cassie and Dylan.
She was right. It was good advice. And I wasn’t planning on screwing things up with Dylan. I was, however, planning on finding a way to get Elijah to forgive and forget—just like I had done with him weeks ago. Fuck Elijah and fuck his feelings.
Nick looked uncomfortable as he glanced around the hallway. He probably wanted to make sure Elijah wasn’t spying on us nearby. “Yeah, I know he is a good friend. The guys know it too. But right now, our loyalty needs to be with Elijah. At least until he gets over this. I’m sorry, but that’s just how it is.” Eww, is this how male friendship is? Boys are just so fucking hateable.
“It’s probably for the best, you know?” I hugged my arms tightly to my chest. “I just don’t think right now is a good time for us. I mean, I probably shouldn’t have rushed into another relationship so quickly after I broke up with Elijah. And you and I shouldn’t have pursued this until Elijah was completely over me and had moved on and gave us his blessing. And we —” Again, fuck Elijah and fuck his feelings. You don't need that bastard's blessing to move on.
So, it was true. My worst fear was confirmed: I broke up with Dylan for nothing. Elijah wasn’t going to forgive him whether we were together or apart. While being apart had maybe given slightly better odds, the odds were still stacked too high against us. Stupid fucking bitch.
The amount of joy I felt when she yelled at Elijah. She should have grabbed something and hit him with it, but I enjoyed the angry words.
Despite everything I’d been through with Elijah, I wanted him to be happy. Hopefully, he’d be happy with Hannah again someday. I don't wanna sound like a bitch, but I don't want Elijah and Hanna to have a happy ending. I want them to suffer because fuck them, especially Elijah.
“If you’re so worried that Elijah is going to stray and make his way back to Hannah, maybe you should think of some ways to, you know, keep him interested.” No, it's not your fault when somebody cheats on you. Let them go. They are a waste of time, you don't need to change yourself. You don't need to exhaust yourself by trying to keep them interested. It's not worth it.
“Cassie.” Elijah pushed off the side of the building and stalked over to me, placing his hands on my shoulders. He lowered his head, so we were at eye level with one another. “When I saw you outside the car, I sobered up. I immediately came to the realization that I don’t want to be with Hannah. I want to be with you.” Girl, why are standing there and listening to his bullshit. Kick him right between his legs, bitch.
“I don’t know, Cass. The guy is pretty broken up about all this. I think he’s genuinely in love with you. If he still had feelings for Hannah like you believe he does, why isn’t he back with her already? Obviously, she still likes him and would agree to get back together, so why aren’t they back together?” Shut the fuck up! Why do y'all want her to get back with that cheating bastard?! WTF!!!
I gotta be honest, I lowkey do not like this Lauren chick. I think her bits of advice just not that great for a friend.
“Look, Dylan, I appreciate your advice, but I’m going to that party with Lauren tomorrow, and I’m going to meet the guy Tiana wants to set me up with. End of discussion.” Bitch, don't be stupid. You know what can happen to girls at parties. You can't trust any of these boys, tf are you acting like he's the bad guy?
Lauren chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes darted between me and Elijah. “Cassie, I forgot to tell you I can’t give you a ride today.” I could tell from the tone of her voice and the look on her face that she was lying. See, do y'all see that. This Lauren bitch is pissing me off.
You know what, our main girl is also making me fucking angry. This bitch is about to catch these hands for being a fucking moron. She gave that cheating bastard a second chance, and then decided she is going to a party to meet a bunch of dudes. Something bad could happen to her, yes I am thinking sexual assault, like omg. TF!!
Elijah, with a guitar strapped to his shoulder, was slowly making his way over to our lunch table; his friends following behind him in a straight line. No. Stop. You're embarrassing yourself. I am getting second-hand embarrassment from reading this.
“Yes,” I finally blurted out, reopening my eyes. I didn’t even know that was my answer before I said it, and the simple word felt sour on my tongue as it rolled off. OMFG!! I am going to punch this bitch in the face! She is really starting to get on my fucking nerves.
Okay, Lauren is not that bad, for now. She is getting better, but I still have those negative feelings towards her.
“Elijah loves you,” she continued. “I know what he did was wrong, but what happened that night at the party meant nothing to either one of us. I swear. He is devastated that things are over between the two of you. I know you’re still hurting from everything, but Cassie, Elijah is a good guy. And if there is any part of you that still has feelings for him, I think you should give your relationship another shot. Don’t give up on him yet.” No, fuck off.
Elijah's cheating ass has no right to get mad at Cassie and Dylan.
She was right. It was good advice. And I wasn’t planning on screwing things up with Dylan. I was, however, planning on finding a way to get Elijah to forgive and forget—just like I had done with him weeks ago. Fuck Elijah and fuck his feelings.
Nick looked uncomfortable as he glanced around the hallway. He probably wanted to make sure Elijah wasn’t spying on us nearby. “Yeah, I know he is a good friend. The guys know it too. But right now, our loyalty needs to be with Elijah. At least until he gets over this. I’m sorry, but that’s just how it is.” Eww, is this how male friendship is? Boys are just so fucking hateable.
“It’s probably for the best, you know?” I hugged my arms tightly to my chest. “I just don’t think right now is a good time for us. I mean, I probably shouldn’t have rushed into another relationship so quickly after I broke up with Elijah. And you and I shouldn’t have pursued this until Elijah was completely over me and had moved on and gave us his blessing. And we —” Again, fuck Elijah and fuck his feelings. You don't need that bastard's blessing to move on.
So, it was true. My worst fear was confirmed: I broke up with Dylan for nothing. Elijah wasn’t going to forgive him whether we were together or apart. While being apart had maybe given slightly better odds, the odds were still stacked too high against us. Stupid fucking bitch.
The amount of joy I felt when she yelled at Elijah. She should have grabbed something and hit him with it, but I enjoyed the angry words.
Despite everything I’d been through with Elijah, I wanted him to be happy. Hopefully, he’d be happy with Hannah again someday. I don't wanna sound like a bitch, but I don't want Elijah and Hanna to have a happy ending. I want them to suffer because fuck them, especially Elijah.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2020
The story was cute, but I had a hard time 'clicking' with this book. The characters felt a little one dimensional, and there seemed to be an emotional disconnect in the writing style.
I did like the theme around the 'pretend marriage' project they were working on in the book. That was kind of a fun plot gimmick.
I did like the theme around the 'pretend marriage' project they were working on in the book. That was kind of a fun plot gimmick.
August 29, 2021
Wow! This book was so complex... Had a really good plot that i can't even believe. The MC, the side characters... They were so well worked and felt alive! I even cried at a part (spoiler: no one died, but ir was so sad i cried anyway).
I don't want to talk to much and spoil it, but believe me. Just read it!
I don't want to talk to much and spoil it, but believe me. Just read it!
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