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She Gets the Girl
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction (2022)She’s All That meets What If It’s Us in this swoon-worthy hate-to-love YA romantic comedy from #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Five Feet Apart Rachael Lippincott and debut writer Alyson Derrick.
Alex Blackwood is a little bit headstrong, with a dash of chaos and a whole lot of flirt. She knows how to get the girl. Keeping her on the other hand…not so much. Molly Parker has everything in her life totally in control, except for her complete awkwardness with just about anyone besides her mom. She knows she’s in love with the impossibly cool Cora Myers. She just…hasn’t actually talked to her yet.
Alex and Molly don’t belong on the same planet, let alone the same college campus. But when Alex, fresh off a bad (but hopefully not permanent) breakup, discovers Molly’s hidden crush as their paths cross the night before classes start, they realize they might have a common interest after all. Because maybe if Alex volunteers to help Molly learn how to get her dream girl to fall for her, she can prove to her ex that she’s not a selfish flirt. That she’s ready for an actual commitment. And while Alex is the last person Molly would ever think she could trust, she can’t deny Alex knows what she’s doing with girls, unlike her.
As the two embark on their five-step plans to get their girls to fall for them, though, they both begin to wonder if maybe they’re the ones falling…for each other.
Alex Blackwood is a little bit headstrong, with a dash of chaos and a whole lot of flirt. She knows how to get the girl. Keeping her on the other hand…not so much. Molly Parker has everything in her life totally in control, except for her complete awkwardness with just about anyone besides her mom. She knows she’s in love with the impossibly cool Cora Myers. She just…hasn’t actually talked to her yet.
Alex and Molly don’t belong on the same planet, let alone the same college campus. But when Alex, fresh off a bad (but hopefully not permanent) breakup, discovers Molly’s hidden crush as their paths cross the night before classes start, they realize they might have a common interest after all. Because maybe if Alex volunteers to help Molly learn how to get her dream girl to fall for her, she can prove to her ex that she’s not a selfish flirt. That she’s ready for an actual commitment. And while Alex is the last person Molly would ever think she could trust, she can’t deny Alex knows what she’s doing with girls, unlike her.
As the two embark on their five-step plans to get their girls to fall for them, though, they both begin to wonder if maybe they’re the ones falling…for each other.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2022
About the author
Rachael Lippincott
11 books6,177 followersRachael Lippincott is the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Five Feet Apart. She holds a BA in English writing from the University of Pittsburgh. Originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, she currently resides in Pittsburgh with her wife and their dog, Hank.
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January 18, 2022Hi! I wrote a book with my wife! Here are some fun facts about SHE GETS THE GIRL, a story in which two girls team up to help each other get the girls of their dreams, & end up falling in love in the process:
❤️ enemies-to-lovers (ft. An Enormous Amount Of Banter)
🏳️🌈 sapphic rom-com
👩🏻🤝👩🏼 dual POV
📒 set during their freshman year of college in PGH
This has been THE MOST FUN book to write, and I can’t WAIT until it hits shelves next spring. 🥰
UPDATE 1/17/2022: ALMOST TWO MONTHS TO GO! Just wanted to let everyone know there's a ✨50 ARC GIVEAWAY✨HAPPENING RIGHT NOW HERE ON GOODREADS hosted by Simon Teen. Here’s the link: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
❤️ enemies-to-lovers (ft. An Enormous Amount Of Banter)
🏳️🌈 sapphic rom-com
👩🏻🤝👩🏼 dual POV
📒 set during their freshman year of college in PGH
This has been THE MOST FUN book to write, and I can’t WAIT until it hits shelves next spring. 🥰
UPDATE 1/17/2022: ALMOST TWO MONTHS TO GO! Just wanted to let everyone know there's a ✨50 ARC GIVEAWAY✨HAPPENING RIGHT NOW HERE ON GOODREADS hosted by Simon Teen. Here’s the link: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
April 25, 2022
movie version of this? GIVE IT TO ME NOW
June 23, 2022
Angsty bird meets trouble girl.
Alex Blackwood and Molly Parker are both starting Pitt University. Alex is easy going and kind of a player; trying to rebuild her relationship after a recent break-up with Natalie. Molly is super shy and socially anxious; an introvert in desperate quest for new friends, and hopelessly in love with unattainable Cora. Alex is going to try to help her win her heart, and craziness is going to unfold for everyone involved.
I’m going to start by saying that my experience with rom-com and lgbt novels is near non-existent. That said, THIS WAS AWESOME. The kind of book I would love to reread like the first time. Molly has my winning socially inept personality, and Alex my occasional boldness and snarky humor, so it was no problem relating with them both. This novel shoved my butterflies all over the place and is as sweet as it can possibly get, without ever becoming too much. I lost count of how many times it made me laugh and smile. Swooning is also guaranteed. Perfect chemistry. Endless supply of quotes and moments to remember by.
I think this novel has a pretty easy lovable theme, so if you don't feel the magic by the first third of the book I would suggest to drop it, it won’t happen. The plot offers nothing new, I know I’ve seen something similar before, just can’t exactly pinpoint where. The ending is utterly predictable, I went in with nothing but the title and the skates of the cover, and still already guessed the ending by chapter 5. So this is not a novel about the ending, it’s a novel about the ride. And what a ride it was. Truly unforgettable. A spot in “Perfection” shelf, solid favorite and possible Top 10. Extremely recommendable, for the right audience. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a movie someday.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE : I had this friend, BFF for so long, so many years. Time and distance eventually drew us apart; but I still remember her from time to time. She loved roller figure skating. Won competitions even, the works. So when I saw the roller skates on the cover I immediately thought of her and simply HAD to read it.
This one was for you, Ve.
[2022] [384p] [4,5] [Rom-Com] [LGTB] [Highly Recommendable] [The rollers is just one scene, a lovely scene, but it’s not figure skating, not derby either]
-----------------------------------------------
Ansiosa pajarita encuentra chica problemática.
Alex Blackwood y Molly Parker empiezan ambas la Universidad Pitt. Alex es de trato fácil y algo mujeriega; tratando de reconstruir su relación después de romper recientemente con Natalie. Molly es super tímida y socialmente ansiosa; una introvertida en desesperada búsqueda de amigos nuevos, y perdidamente enamorada de la inalcanzable Cora. Alex va a tratar de ayudarle a ganar su corazón, y la locura se va a desatar para todos los involucrados.
Voy a empezar diciendo que mi experiencia con las comedias románticas y novelas lgtb es casi no existente. Dicho eso, ESTO FUE ASOMBROSO. El tipo de libro que amaría poder releer como si fuera la primera vez. Molly tiene mi ganadora personalidad socialmente inepta, y Alex mi audacia ocasional y humor sarcástico, así que no fue problema empatizar con las dos. Esta novela sacudió mis mariposas por todo el lugar y es tan dulce como es posiblemente ser, sin sobrepasarse en ningún momento. Perdí la cuenta de cuantas veces me hizo reir y sonreir. Embelesamiento garantizado. Química perfecta. Infinita cantidad de citas y momentos para el recuerdo.
Creo que esta novela tiene una temática muy fácil de amar, así que si no sentís la magia para el primer tercio del libro sugeriría abandonarlo, no va a suceder. La trama no ofrece nada nuevo, sé que vi algo similar antes, pero no puedo determinar con precisión dónde. El final es terriblemente predecible, entré con nada más que el título y los patines de la portada, e incluso así ya tenía adivinado el final para el capítulo 5. Así que esta novela no es sobre el final, es una novela sobre el viaje. Y qué viaje fue. Verdaderamente inolvidable. Un lugar en el estante “Perfección”, sólido favorito y posible Top 10. Extremadamente recomendable, para la audiencia correcta. Y no me sorprendería si algún día se convierte en película.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL : Tenía una amiga, BFF por tanto tiempo, tantos años. El tiempo y la distancia eventualmente nos separó; pero aún la recuerdo de tanto en tanto. Ella amaba el patinaje artístico; ganó competencias incluso, bien completo. Así que cuando vi los patines en la portada inmediatamente pensé en ella y simplemente TENIA que leerlo.
Esta fue por vos, Ve.
[2022] [384p] [4,5] [Comedia Romántica] [LGTB] [Altamente Recomendable] [Los patines son sólo una escena, una escena adorable, pero no es patinaje artístico, ni derby tampoco]
-----------------------------------------------
Alex Blackwood and Molly Parker are both starting Pitt University. Alex is easy going and kind of a player; trying to rebuild her relationship after a recent break-up with Natalie. Molly is super shy and socially anxious; an introvert in desperate quest for new friends, and hopelessly in love with unattainable Cora. Alex is going to try to help her win her heart, and craziness is going to unfold for everyone involved.
I’m going to start by saying that my experience with rom-com and lgbt novels is near non-existent. That said, THIS WAS AWESOME. The kind of book I would love to reread like the first time. Molly has my winning socially inept personality, and Alex my occasional boldness and snarky humor, so it was no problem relating with them both. This novel shoved my butterflies all over the place and is as sweet as it can possibly get, without ever becoming too much. I lost count of how many times it made me laugh and smile. Swooning is also guaranteed. Perfect chemistry. Endless supply of quotes and moments to remember by.
I think this novel has a pretty easy lovable theme, so if you don't feel the magic by the first third of the book I would suggest to drop it, it won’t happen. The plot offers nothing new, I know I’ve seen something similar before, just can’t exactly pinpoint where. The ending is utterly predictable, I went in with nothing but the title and the skates of the cover, and still already guessed the ending by chapter 5. So this is not a novel about the ending, it’s a novel about the ride. And what a ride it was. Truly unforgettable. A spot in “Perfection” shelf, solid favorite and possible Top 10. Extremely recommendable, for the right audience. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a movie someday.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE : I had this friend, BFF for so long, so many years. Time and distance eventually drew us apart; but I still remember her from time to time. She loved roller figure skating. Won competitions even, the works. So when I saw the roller skates on the cover I immediately thought of her and simply HAD to read it.
This one was for you, Ve.
[2022] [384p] [4,5] [Rom-Com] [LGTB] [Highly Recommendable] [The rollers is just one scene, a lovely scene, but it’s not figure skating, not derby either]
-----------------------------------------------
Ansiosa pajarita encuentra chica problemática.
Alex Blackwood y Molly Parker empiezan ambas la Universidad Pitt. Alex es de trato fácil y algo mujeriega; tratando de reconstruir su relación después de romper recientemente con Natalie. Molly es super tímida y socialmente ansiosa; una introvertida en desesperada búsqueda de amigos nuevos, y perdidamente enamorada de la inalcanzable Cora. Alex va a tratar de ayudarle a ganar su corazón, y la locura se va a desatar para todos los involucrados.
Voy a empezar diciendo que mi experiencia con las comedias románticas y novelas lgtb es casi no existente. Dicho eso, ESTO FUE ASOMBROSO. El tipo de libro que amaría poder releer como si fuera la primera vez. Molly tiene mi ganadora personalidad socialmente inepta, y Alex mi audacia ocasional y humor sarcástico, así que no fue problema empatizar con las dos. Esta novela sacudió mis mariposas por todo el lugar y es tan dulce como es posiblemente ser, sin sobrepasarse en ningún momento. Perdí la cuenta de cuantas veces me hizo reir y sonreir. Embelesamiento garantizado. Química perfecta. Infinita cantidad de citas y momentos para el recuerdo.
Creo que esta novela tiene una temática muy fácil de amar, así que si no sentís la magia para el primer tercio del libro sugeriría abandonarlo, no va a suceder. La trama no ofrece nada nuevo, sé que vi algo similar antes, pero no puedo determinar con precisión dónde. El final es terriblemente predecible, entré con nada más que el título y los patines de la portada, e incluso así ya tenía adivinado el final para el capítulo 5. Así que esta novela no es sobre el final, es una novela sobre el viaje. Y qué viaje fue. Verdaderamente inolvidable. Un lugar en el estante “Perfección”, sólido favorito y posible Top 10. Extremadamente recomendable, para la audiencia correcta. Y no me sorprendería si algún día se convierte en película.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL : Tenía una amiga, BFF por tanto tiempo, tantos años. El tiempo y la distancia eventualmente nos separó; pero aún la recuerdo de tanto en tanto. Ella amaba el patinaje artístico; ganó competencias incluso, bien completo. Así que cuando vi los patines en la portada inmediatamente pensé en ella y simplemente TENIA que leerlo.
Esta fue por vos, Ve.
[2022] [384p] [4,5] [Comedia Romántica] [LGTB] [Altamente Recomendable] [Los patines son sólo una escena, una escena adorable, pero no es patinaje artístico, ni derby tampoco]
-----------------------------------------------
March 18, 2024
a very cute sapphic college romcom about a painfully awkward but well-intentioned girl who is nursing a VERY intense crush when she meets and befriends a much more experienced, charming, snarky girl who signs onto be the ultimate wingwoman and set the two of them up. obviously things do not go as planned. this is based on how the authors (now married w/ dog AND kid) actually got together and if you know me even 1% you know i am a MASSIVE sucker for stories with lore like that. actually makes the world feel? not completely hopeless?? maybe love exists??????
this felt so strongly like a movie i have seen before but i can’t put my finger on what.. . and maybe i am forgetting something but if there is no movie after all, that goes to show how good the classic romcom energy was in this. i do wish the ending had been drawn out a bit longer (i want MAXIMUM. YEARNING.) but overall i had a wonderful time :)
a very good depression read, esp. if you are looking for queer stories where the characters have problems other than coming out/homophobia (rare i think esp. in popular YA)
this felt so strongly like a movie i have seen before but i can’t put my finger on what.. . and maybe i am forgetting something but if there is no movie after all, that goes to show how good the classic romcom energy was in this. i do wish the ending had been drawn out a bit longer (i want MAXIMUM. YEARNING.) but overall i had a wonderful time :)
a very good depression read, esp. if you are looking for queer stories where the characters have problems other than coming out/homophobia (rare i think esp. in popular YA)
May 8, 2022
if the fact that a queer couple wrote this queer book together isn't reason enough for u to read this book why are we even friends
June 9, 2022
got called out for my daddy issues on page 8 so obviously this is a 5 star read.
August 22, 2023
This book was a lot of fun to read and I really liked how the characters developed.
When both of them opened up about their family trauma/ issues it was great. I really liked how they not only opened up to each other but also to other people because I feel like it showed that they came so far and that was just very heartwarming to see.
There were also sooo many funny scenes where I laughed out loud which is just always a bonus but I just wish that the pacing wasn’t this off? Like the book is soooo slow for 80-90% and then whoosh:
Faster than the furious
3.5-4 stars
When both of them opened up about their family trauma/ issues it was great. I really liked how they not only opened up to each other but also to other people because I feel like it showed that they came so far and that was just very heartwarming to see.
There were also sooo many funny scenes where I laughed out loud which is just always a bonus but I just wish that the pacing wasn’t this off? Like the book is soooo slow for 80-90% and then whoosh:
Faster than the furious
3.5-4 stars
April 6, 2022
4.25 Stars. This was a lovely read. This book reminded me of all the teenage rom-com movies I watched as a teenager, in the late 90’s, except for that the mains in this book are queer. I would have killed for a movie like this growing up in that time period. Anyway, the blurb mentions how this had the feel of She’s All That, and it just happens that it was one of the first movies I compared this book too so I completely agree with that statement. The story here is really nothing new, and there are a few “authors writing together for the first time” bumps, but overall this book just works and it is a read I would easily recommend.
This was a super sweet, best friends to lovers romance. If done well, this trope is really enjoyable to read and makes for a good romance which was the case here. This is very slow burn, and I do wish it was a little less slow because the characters could have used more “couple time” but this book excelled in the ‘building feelings’ part. My favorite part of a romance is the ‘getting to know you’, the dating, when you see things starting to get more serious, and watching a connection build in front of our eyes. This was what this book really was about and it was exactly what I want in a romance.
While there was a lot of sweetness, and lightly funny moments, I was surprised that this book had me close to tears more than once. There are some very emotional parts, and even just feeling badly for a character that is embarrassed or hurt -because it’s like you take a bit of the hit with them-. There were some parts of this book that were really well written, including close psychic distance, which means you actually feel what the main characters are going through and I love that as a reader.
While there were some really well written parts, there were some debut bumps too. (This is a debut for one author and a debut for them as a writing team.) I’m hoping a lot of this was only due to me having an early review copy, but I did find some inconsistency issues and what seemed like head-hopping a few times. There was also some writing that felt a bit choppy which was odd to me. We would go from such a lovely written part, to something that didn’t feel right which was a shame since it jogged me out of my reading zone at times. When this book is on, you fly right through it so in comparison the few bumpy stops were disappointing. Again, hopefully at least some of this will be cleared up and if not, most of these really are newbie writing bumps so that the more these authors write together, the more I expect these issues will go away.
TLDR: This was a really well done YA/NA romance. I’m not sure if I call this YA or New Adult, but that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme since this romance just works. This book brought back some memories of the movies I grew up with, except this was how I wish they were actually written. While this book had some writing bumps, some part were wonderfully written not just for a debut but for any book. I’m excited to read more from this duo and I would absolutely recommend this to best friend to lovers romance fans and rom-com fans. This is one you will not want to miss.
An copy was given to me for a review.
This was a super sweet, best friends to lovers romance. If done well, this trope is really enjoyable to read and makes for a good romance which was the case here. This is very slow burn, and I do wish it was a little less slow because the characters could have used more “couple time” but this book excelled in the ‘building feelings’ part. My favorite part of a romance is the ‘getting to know you’, the dating, when you see things starting to get more serious, and watching a connection build in front of our eyes. This was what this book really was about and it was exactly what I want in a romance.
While there was a lot of sweetness, and lightly funny moments, I was surprised that this book had me close to tears more than once. There are some very emotional parts, and even just feeling badly for a character that is embarrassed or hurt -because it’s like you take a bit of the hit with them-. There were some parts of this book that were really well written, including close psychic distance, which means you actually feel what the main characters are going through and I love that as a reader.
While there were some really well written parts, there were some debut bumps too. (This is a debut for one author and a debut for them as a writing team.) I’m hoping a lot of this was only due to me having an early review copy, but I did find some inconsistency issues and what seemed like head-hopping a few times. There was also some writing that felt a bit choppy which was odd to me. We would go from such a lovely written part, to something that didn’t feel right which was a shame since it jogged me out of my reading zone at times. When this book is on, you fly right through it so in comparison the few bumpy stops were disappointing. Again, hopefully at least some of this will be cleared up and if not, most of these really are newbie writing bumps so that the more these authors write together, the more I expect these issues will go away.
TLDR: This was a really well done YA/NA romance. I’m not sure if I call this YA or New Adult, but that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme since this romance just works. This book brought back some memories of the movies I grew up with, except this was how I wish they were actually written. While this book had some writing bumps, some part were wonderfully written not just for a debut but for any book. I’m excited to read more from this duo and I would absolutely recommend this to best friend to lovers romance fans and rom-com fans. This is one you will not want to miss.
An copy was given to me for a review.
June 12, 2022
cute!! wish there was more pining for each other instead of other people, but i still liked it :)
June 15, 2024
SHE DOES INDEED!
This was so cute. I laughed, I cried, I had a great time. And so shall you. I also loved that Rachael Lippincott wrote this along with her wife, Alyson Derrick so knowing that makes it extra adorable. This just made me feel good inside and I needed that.
This was so cute. I laughed, I cried, I had a great time. And so shall you. I also loved that Rachael Lippincott wrote this along with her wife, Alyson Derrick so knowing that makes it extra adorable. This just made me feel good inside and I needed that.
April 8, 2022
I thought this book was pretty fun, though I was left wanting a bit more!! I think both characters on their own were huge standouts--the authors created nuanced and complicated characters with tough backstories and issues well! I loved reading about Alex's struggles with her mom, who is an alcoholic, and Molly's struggle with social anxiety felt SO authentic to my own experience. I'm absolutely in love with the fact that this book takes place in college, as I don't think we get many of those.
The one place where I wished for more was the budding romance between Alex and Molly. As they get to know each other, I feel like we don't see much romantic development beyond a couple scenes showing some physical attraction. I wish we got some more scenes convincing us why they're good for each other, and like each other romantically.
I also wished for a bit nuance with Alex's relationship with Natalie, as Natalie's characterization felt a bit out of left field to me, as if the authors were just looking for a reason to get rid of their relationship. On the other hand, I did enjoy how Cora and Molly's relationship was dealt with, though I wish their final scene was a bit longer!
The one place where I wished for more was the budding romance between Alex and Molly. As they get to know each other, I feel like we don't see much romantic development beyond a couple scenes showing some physical attraction. I wish we got some more scenes convincing us why they're good for each other, and like each other romantically.
I also wished for a bit nuance with Alex's relationship with Natalie, as Natalie's characterization felt a bit out of left field to me, as if the authors were just looking for a reason to get rid of their relationship. On the other hand, I did enjoy how Cora and Molly's relationship was dealt with, though I wish their final scene was a bit longer!
August 5, 2023
4.5 stars! This is an absolutely delightful dual POV YA/new adult sapphic romance. I adored Alex and Molly, watching these two opposites attract lesbians realize they're not so different after all, become friends, and then discover that the girls they thought they wanted aren't actually right for them because they love each other!!
So Molly begins college a socially awkward, shy, compulsive organizer whose best friend is her mom. Like, her mom is her only friend. Her mom, who was adopted from Korea and grew up in a hostile white town, is also struggling with internalized racism that Molly is trying not to inherit.
For most of high school, Molly's been in love with -- from afar, like never having really talked to! -- this quirky girl Cora. Cora is attending the same university, and Molly is determined to come out of her shell and finally get Cora to notice her so the two of them can live happily ever after. The thing is, Molly doesn't actually know Cora and is more in love with her fantastical idea of who Cora is than Cora as a real person. Good lord I identified painfully with her!
Alex is a particular kind of person I have known in real life who is very hard to evoke in writing -- but the authors really succeeded, I think. She's charismatic, flirty, confident, and conventionally attractive enough that she gets attention from strangers. She knows it, and uses it to her advantage when she needs to. People assume she's a superficial bimbo.
Her single mom is an alcoholic and Alex has been working through high school to support herself and her mom. Basically, she's the parent. Her musician girlfriend, Natalie, has just dumped her for "not being emotionally available" and apparently being a player who can't commit to a relationship. (Unsurprisingly, it turns out to be Natalie who likes to play petty relationship games and fuck around with Alex's feelings).
These two do not like each other much when they first meet! But Molly reluctantly lets Alex help her get Cora to go out with her. Alex figures she can show Natalie that she *is* a good person who can use her flirtation skills to help another lesbian while not hooking up with anyone! Molly can't deny Alex seems good at attracting girls -- except Molly herself, who is decidedly not charmed and therefore able to be herself around Alex. The fault with this plan is, of course, that it results in the two of them spending a lot of time together, including "practice" dates, and it turns out they actually really like each other? More than either of the girls they are apparently trying to woo.
I suspect people familiar with Pittsburgh and who went to university there will love all the campus and city setting details. Fellow sapphics are going to love all the cultural references, from TV shows including Killing Eve and Wynonna Earp, celebrity crushes like Cara Delevigne, and lines like "I thought I told you I'm not a sporty gay!" I also loved how homophobia and even the fact that all these characters are queer are not even minor plot points.
I was rooting from the get go for each girl individually and for them to figure out their feelings for each other. I was sad to see them go at the end of the book.
My only qualms are I wanted the scene when they finally got together and when Moliy realized her feelings to be a little bit more drawn out. I also felt like one of their mom storylines was tied up a bit too neatly. I read an ARC though, so those elements might be changed in the final book.
So Molly begins college a socially awkward, shy, compulsive organizer whose best friend is her mom. Like, her mom is her only friend. Her mom, who was adopted from Korea and grew up in a hostile white town, is also struggling with internalized racism that Molly is trying not to inherit.
For most of high school, Molly's been in love with -- from afar, like never having really talked to! -- this quirky girl Cora. Cora is attending the same university, and Molly is determined to come out of her shell and finally get Cora to notice her so the two of them can live happily ever after. The thing is, Molly doesn't actually know Cora and is more in love with her fantastical idea of who Cora is than Cora as a real person. Good lord I identified painfully with her!
Alex is a particular kind of person I have known in real life who is very hard to evoke in writing -- but the authors really succeeded, I think. She's charismatic, flirty, confident, and conventionally attractive enough that she gets attention from strangers. She knows it, and uses it to her advantage when she needs to. People assume she's a superficial bimbo.
Her single mom is an alcoholic and Alex has been working through high school to support herself and her mom. Basically, she's the parent. Her musician girlfriend, Natalie, has just dumped her for "not being emotionally available" and apparently being a player who can't commit to a relationship. (Unsurprisingly, it turns out to be Natalie who likes to play petty relationship games and fuck around with Alex's feelings).
These two do not like each other much when they first meet! But Molly reluctantly lets Alex help her get Cora to go out with her. Alex figures she can show Natalie that she *is* a good person who can use her flirtation skills to help another lesbian while not hooking up with anyone! Molly can't deny Alex seems good at attracting girls -- except Molly herself, who is decidedly not charmed and therefore able to be herself around Alex. The fault with this plan is, of course, that it results in the two of them spending a lot of time together, including "practice" dates, and it turns out they actually really like each other? More than either of the girls they are apparently trying to woo.
I suspect people familiar with Pittsburgh and who went to university there will love all the campus and city setting details. Fellow sapphics are going to love all the cultural references, from TV shows including Killing Eve and Wynonna Earp, celebrity crushes like Cara Delevigne, and lines like "I thought I told you I'm not a sporty gay!" I also loved how homophobia and even the fact that all these characters are queer are not even minor plot points.
I was rooting from the get go for each girl individually and for them to figure out their feelings for each other. I was sad to see them go at the end of the book.
My only qualms are I wanted the scene when they finally got together and when Moliy realized her feelings to be a little bit more drawn out. I also felt like one of their mom storylines was tied up a bit too neatly. I read an ARC though, so those elements might be changed in the final book.
April 26, 2022
oh i am weeping weeping
August 17, 2022
Sadly the book was not as beautiful as the cover for me.
June 29, 2022
I made it about a third before crashing out. And I knew I should have stopped sooner. Both protagonists are pathetic, though at least in different ways. Molly can't walk down a street without getting in her own way and has the social skills of a drunk beagle and Alex is a maladjusted weasel with the morals of a mink in heat. Only, that's not enough, so each has a special extra bit of stupid to make the story even more painful.
Molly gets the slapstick treatment. If she isn't spilling crap on herself, someone else is. Or she's eating the bananas someone brought to an orientation mixer to roll condoms on. Slapstick is bad enough in a visual medium. I find it near unbearable in text.
And Alex is one of those very special people saddled with an irresponsible parent she's forever covering for. Drunk mom calls and before you know it, Alex is emptying her already-bare bank account because mom threatens to do something even stupider than she is already doing if Alex doesn't. I hate when authors do this. I do not find enabling self-destructive people noble or good-hearted or loving. It's borderline evil, frankly, when you know exactly how they're going to abuse your support. And the thing I particularly hate about it is that it doesn't ever actually hold together as characterization.
Sigh. I'm going to have to explain this one, probably. Okay, for this type of setup to work you need someone who doesn't know (or doesn't care) that they are enabling very bad things. That means they need to be ignorant of the consequences of the kind of life they are enabling. Or stupid enough not to draw the line from "giving them money" to whatever the vice it is that they are enabling. Or so callous that she doesn't care that she's helping destroy someone. Seriously, what does it say about Alex when she gives her mother money when she knows that her mother will drink herself insensate in a likely unsafe environment (like, for example, with the kind of people who find that fun) when Alex knows full-well exactly what that means from the personal history that has supposedly left her emotionally scarred? She's not ignorant or stupid. She knows what this leads to. We're told that she has been witness to it time and time again. This does not make her sympathetic to me.
So I'm done with these pathetic caricatures. It's just not entertaining.
Molly gets the slapstick treatment. If she isn't spilling crap on herself, someone else is. Or she's eating the bananas someone brought to an orientation mixer to roll condoms on. Slapstick is bad enough in a visual medium. I find it near unbearable in text.
And Alex is one of those very special people saddled with an irresponsible parent she's forever covering for. Drunk mom calls and before you know it, Alex is emptying her already-bare bank account because mom threatens to do something even stupider than she is already doing if Alex doesn't. I hate when authors do this. I do not find enabling self-destructive people noble or good-hearted or loving. It's borderline evil, frankly, when you know exactly how they're going to abuse your support. And the thing I particularly hate about it is that it doesn't ever actually hold together as characterization.
Sigh. I'm going to have to explain this one, probably. Okay, for this type of setup to work you need someone who doesn't know (or doesn't care) that they are enabling very bad things. That means they need to be ignorant of the consequences of the kind of life they are enabling. Or stupid enough not to draw the line from "giving them money" to whatever the vice it is that they are enabling. Or so callous that she doesn't care that she's helping destroy someone. Seriously, what does it say about Alex when she gives her mother money when she knows that her mother will drink herself insensate in a likely unsafe environment (like, for example, with the kind of people who find that fun) when Alex knows full-well exactly what that means from the personal history that has supposedly left her emotionally scarred? She's not ignorant or stupid. She knows what this leads to. We're told that she has been witness to it time and time again. This does not make her sympathetic to me.
So I'm done with these pathetic caricatures. It's just not entertaining.
April 27, 2023
I’m on BookTube now! =)
trigger warnings:
”Even though she makes me want to rip my hair out most days … she’s also the only person I’ve ever met and not been related to that I can be completely myself around, without buckling under the weight of my anxiety. I haven’t totally figured out why yet.”
But I have and it was a lot of fun to watch Molly come to the same conclusion. ;-P Those two!! I enjoyed this book so much and read it in a couple of days, which is very untypical for me. This is always a good sign and shows that I obviously had an amazing time. *lol* So what is the book about? Well, I guess you can already gather that from the blurb but I’ll still give you my two cents. In short you might say “She Gets the Girl” is about two girls that try to help each other out, but then accidentally end up falling in love instead. So far so good, sounds like a typical rom-com, but it’s not because the two MCs have quite a lot on their plates.
”Even though I’m finally gone, it suddenly feels like I’m right back in the house I left behind. Just waiting. Waiting for Mom to come home.
My mind would always get the better of me. I couldn’t stop obsessing over where she was. Who she was with. How much she was drinking. How much she was spending when we had a whole stack of bills on the kitchen table.”
Alex just moved out of her childhood home and is trying to start a new life in another city, but unfortunately, that’s not as easy as it sounds. She’s constantly broke because of her mom’s addiction, tries to juggle school and a new job, her roommate doesn’t like her because her boyfriend apparently has the hots for Alex (not that she would be even interested) and desperately tries to get her girlfriend back as well. So yeah, you might say Alex’s first week didn’t start all too well.
”I give her another hug because while I know it’s lame … we’re basically best friends. We’ve never explicitly called each other that, but when you’re this close with someone, it doesn’t need to be said. She’s been my closest friend all through high school. My only friend, if I’m honest.”
Not that Molly is doing much better on her end. (At least for her standards.) She just moved into her room and realized that she has a single dorm, so that means no roommates which was basically something she was afraid of but also desperately wished for because her social anxiety is already bad enough and it would have been easier to make friends. But alas no luck. Molly is stuck in a single dorm, has no idea how to cope with being at a foreign place, misses her mom who was her only friend and finally wants to get to know her crush a little bit better. Thankfully, she’s invited to a party, a party where her crush seems to flirt with Alex and Molly is not amused!
A conflict between the two is almost inevitable and they realize that they don’t like each other very much. Which was so much fun, because this was some sort of enemies-to-lovers trope and as you all know I love them! Anyway! It doesn’t take a genius to realize Molly is head over heels for Nora and Alex is pretty sure she can help her get the girl and prove to her kind of ex-girlfriend Natalie that she can have a friendship with other girls without lusting after them. (If you ask me that’s a red flag and tells you enough about Natalie’s character to understand that she’s a bad influence and not good for Alex. The way Natalie treated her… *shakes head*)
”But like … how? I’m not you.”
“You don’t have to be. You were yourself with him. You found something you knew about him and used that to work your way in. That’s all it is. I just want you to be more you, instead of a little ball of quiet anxiety in the corner of the party.”
So the two make a deal and start spending time together, which ultimately causes them to get to know each other even better than they wanted to. And this was done so well. I really liked how they went from enemies at first sight with a real strong animosity to tentative allies that became good friends and even more in the end. The way they started to share food and thoughts was amazing and it all felt so natural. I mean there are those two girls that try to win over their love-interests, yet at the same time they spend so much time together and get to know each other in the most intimate and open way possible. They don’t have to hide anything from each other because they both know who they are. They know each other’s weaknesses and strengths and can just “be” when they spend time together. They can be brutally honest and candid and just say what they think and feel.
”It’s been a while since I’ve had someone to hang out with like …” She motions back and forth between us. “Well, like this.”
That breaks my heart a little, but … I get it.
It’s been a while since I just hung out with someone like this. Someone I wasn’t trying to date or flirt with or keep comfortably at arm’s length. Someone that just wanted to hang out with me.
“Yeah. Me too,” I say.
This was such a lovely aspect of the story and I really appreciated how their relationship was portrayed. Which brings me right to their chemistry on page. Those two girls had many cute moments and even though they were rather brief you could still feel the growing tension between them. No matter if it was Alex or Molly, they both became acutely aware of each other and it was extremely sweet to see them struggle with their feelings and the sudden realization that there might be more between them than just friendship.
”Did I screw it up?” She tugs at the shirt tied around her waist.”It’s the flannel, isn’t it? I knew I should’ve just worn a button-down instead …”
“No. You just … look … you look … really pretty,” I manage to get out, looking at the way the jeans accentuate the curve of her hips.
Molly’s hips, I remind myself, and pull my eyes quickly away.
Plus I really liked that Molly always invited Alex to lunch, dinner, etc. For Molly it was no big deal but for Alex it was basically her love language! XD Which was kinda funny to realize while I read the book, because due to Alex’s circumstances she never has all too much money to spend on food or nice things and here comes Molly spoiling her senseless with treats. *lol* This was really cute because Molly didn’t even think about it and just wanted to do something good for Alex. Thankfully Alex was one of those girls that didn’t take offense and actually could accept the offer.
”Some things have to fall apart because they don’t belong together, but some things belong so much they could never break.”
It wasn’t all sunshine and falling in love, though and the more serious parts of the book hit pretty hard as well. Molly’s social anxiety and all the troubles it entailed, her conflict with her mom because she’s too protective and doesn’t give her space to discover and find herself and her wish to be proud of her Korean heritage that’s constantly thwarted by the fact that her mom hates being Korean. It’s not easy to find your identity and if your parents don’t acknowledge an important and integral part of themselves, how are you supposed to do it?
”I don’t want to be an open book. I can’t be. Because I’m rotten just beneath the surface, and deep down I’m scared she knows that.”
Alex’s problems were of a different nature and my heart broke so much for her. To grow up like this, to constantly be worried about your mom and that she might end up dead because you’re not around to pay the bills anymore or to make sure she eats and doesn’t waste her money on booze. To work twice, as hard because she knew sooner or later she would have to pay a lot of money to get her mom out of trouble again. It was really hard to read about and gosh, I’m so glad Jim was on her side because without this precious man Alex probably would have lost it. He’s an angel, I swear. Gruff teddybear. I love him. <333
”Maybe she’s not the girl that gets everything so easily.
Maybe she’s so good at helping me show myself to the world because she’s put up a front of her own.”
Considering it all, the book tackled many serious topics as well and I think the mixture of the light-hearted moments and the harsh ones was done very well. I also appreciated that they were addressed and challenged and that all the loose ends were tied up by the end of the book. I really don’t like open-endings that keep me guessing about the characters so to have full closure after finishing the story was nice. =) All told I had a very good time reading “She Gets the Girl” and I can’t wait to read another book of those two authors. This story was worth the hype and I’m glad I was finally able to read it.
________________________
I get the hype around this book now! This was really such a cute romance and so easy to read. The two MCs were great and Alex was extremely relatable. <33
It’s amazing that I found so many great f/f books lately and I hope I’ll find even more to share!
Full RTC soon, stay tuned! ;-)
________________________
As it seems I’m on a roll when it comes to f/f romances so we’ll just go with the flow and continue to pick great Sapphic reads, okay?
“She Gets the Girl” has been on my radar for a while now and I’m very curious if it’s as good as people claim it to be. The only way to find out is by reading the book, so that’s what I’m going to do. ;-)
Two girls helping each other to make their crushes fall for them? Them falling in love with each other instead? Yep, sign me up! I’m ready.
Find me on:
My Blog
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trigger warnings:
”Even though she makes me want to rip my hair out most days … she’s also the only person I’ve ever met and not been related to that I can be completely myself around, without buckling under the weight of my anxiety. I haven’t totally figured out why yet.”
But I have and it was a lot of fun to watch Molly come to the same conclusion. ;-P Those two!! I enjoyed this book so much and read it in a couple of days, which is very untypical for me. This is always a good sign and shows that I obviously had an amazing time. *lol* So what is the book about? Well, I guess you can already gather that from the blurb but I’ll still give you my two cents. In short you might say “She Gets the Girl” is about two girls that try to help each other out, but then accidentally end up falling in love instead. So far so good, sounds like a typical rom-com, but it’s not because the two MCs have quite a lot on their plates.
”Even though I’m finally gone, it suddenly feels like I’m right back in the house I left behind. Just waiting. Waiting for Mom to come home.
My mind would always get the better of me. I couldn’t stop obsessing over where she was. Who she was with. How much she was drinking. How much she was spending when we had a whole stack of bills on the kitchen table.”
Alex just moved out of her childhood home and is trying to start a new life in another city, but unfortunately, that’s not as easy as it sounds. She’s constantly broke because of her mom’s addiction, tries to juggle school and a new job, her roommate doesn’t like her because her boyfriend apparently has the hots for Alex (not that she would be even interested) and desperately tries to get her girlfriend back as well. So yeah, you might say Alex’s first week didn’t start all too well.
”I give her another hug because while I know it’s lame … we’re basically best friends. We’ve never explicitly called each other that, but when you’re this close with someone, it doesn’t need to be said. She’s been my closest friend all through high school. My only friend, if I’m honest.”
Not that Molly is doing much better on her end. (At least for her standards.) She just moved into her room and realized that she has a single dorm, so that means no roommates which was basically something she was afraid of but also desperately wished for because her social anxiety is already bad enough and it would have been easier to make friends. But alas no luck. Molly is stuck in a single dorm, has no idea how to cope with being at a foreign place, misses her mom who was her only friend and finally wants to get to know her crush a little bit better. Thankfully, she’s invited to a party, a party where her crush seems to flirt with Alex and Molly is not amused!
A conflict between the two is almost inevitable and they realize that they don’t like each other very much. Which was so much fun, because this was some sort of enemies-to-lovers trope and as you all know I love them! Anyway! It doesn’t take a genius to realize Molly is head over heels for Nora and Alex is pretty sure she can help her get the girl and prove to her kind of ex-girlfriend Natalie that she can have a friendship with other girls without lusting after them. (If you ask me that’s a red flag and tells you enough about Natalie’s character to understand that she’s a bad influence and not good for Alex. The way Natalie treated her… *shakes head*)
”But like … how? I’m not you.”
“You don’t have to be. You were yourself with him. You found something you knew about him and used that to work your way in. That’s all it is. I just want you to be more you, instead of a little ball of quiet anxiety in the corner of the party.”
So the two make a deal and start spending time together, which ultimately causes them to get to know each other even better than they wanted to. And this was done so well. I really liked how they went from enemies at first sight with a real strong animosity to tentative allies that became good friends and even more in the end. The way they started to share food and thoughts was amazing and it all felt so natural. I mean there are those two girls that try to win over their love-interests, yet at the same time they spend so much time together and get to know each other in the most intimate and open way possible. They don’t have to hide anything from each other because they both know who they are. They know each other’s weaknesses and strengths and can just “be” when they spend time together. They can be brutally honest and candid and just say what they think and feel.
”It’s been a while since I’ve had someone to hang out with like …” She motions back and forth between us. “Well, like this.”
That breaks my heart a little, but … I get it.
It’s been a while since I just hung out with someone like this. Someone I wasn’t trying to date or flirt with or keep comfortably at arm’s length. Someone that just wanted to hang out with me.
“Yeah. Me too,” I say.
This was such a lovely aspect of the story and I really appreciated how their relationship was portrayed. Which brings me right to their chemistry on page. Those two girls had many cute moments and even though they were rather brief you could still feel the growing tension between them. No matter if it was Alex or Molly, they both became acutely aware of each other and it was extremely sweet to see them struggle with their feelings and the sudden realization that there might be more between them than just friendship.
”Did I screw it up?” She tugs at the shirt tied around her waist.”It’s the flannel, isn’t it? I knew I should’ve just worn a button-down instead …”
“No. You just … look … you look … really pretty,” I manage to get out, looking at the way the jeans accentuate the curve of her hips.
Molly’s hips, I remind myself, and pull my eyes quickly away.
Plus I really liked that Molly always invited Alex to lunch, dinner, etc. For Molly it was no big deal but for Alex it was basically her love language! XD Which was kinda funny to realize while I read the book, because due to Alex’s circumstances she never has all too much money to spend on food or nice things and here comes Molly spoiling her senseless with treats. *lol* This was really cute because Molly didn’t even think about it and just wanted to do something good for Alex. Thankfully Alex was one of those girls that didn’t take offense and actually could accept the offer.
”Some things have to fall apart because they don’t belong together, but some things belong so much they could never break.”
It wasn’t all sunshine and falling in love, though and the more serious parts of the book hit pretty hard as well. Molly’s social anxiety and all the troubles it entailed, her conflict with her mom because she’s too protective and doesn’t give her space to discover and find herself and her wish to be proud of her Korean heritage that’s constantly thwarted by the fact that her mom hates being Korean. It’s not easy to find your identity and if your parents don’t acknowledge an important and integral part of themselves, how are you supposed to do it?
”I don’t want to be an open book. I can’t be. Because I’m rotten just beneath the surface, and deep down I’m scared she knows that.”
Alex’s problems were of a different nature and my heart broke so much for her. To grow up like this, to constantly be worried about your mom and that she might end up dead because you’re not around to pay the bills anymore or to make sure she eats and doesn’t waste her money on booze. To work twice, as hard because she knew sooner or later she would have to pay a lot of money to get her mom out of trouble again. It was really hard to read about and gosh, I’m so glad Jim was on her side because without this precious man Alex probably would have lost it. He’s an angel, I swear. Gruff teddybear. I love him. <333
”Maybe she’s not the girl that gets everything so easily.
Maybe she’s so good at helping me show myself to the world because she’s put up a front of her own.”
Considering it all, the book tackled many serious topics as well and I think the mixture of the light-hearted moments and the harsh ones was done very well. I also appreciated that they were addressed and challenged and that all the loose ends were tied up by the end of the book. I really don’t like open-endings that keep me guessing about the characters so to have full closure after finishing the story was nice. =) All told I had a very good time reading “She Gets the Girl” and I can’t wait to read another book of those two authors. This story was worth the hype and I’m glad I was finally able to read it.
________________________
I get the hype around this book now! This was really such a cute romance and so easy to read. The two MCs were great and Alex was extremely relatable. <33
It’s amazing that I found so many great f/f books lately and I hope I’ll find even more to share!
Full RTC soon, stay tuned! ;-)
________________________
As it seems I’m on a roll when it comes to f/f romances so we’ll just go with the flow and continue to pick great Sapphic reads, okay?
“She Gets the Girl” has been on my radar for a while now and I’m very curious if it’s as good as people claim it to be. The only way to find out is by reading the book, so that’s what I’m going to do. ;-)
Two girls helping each other to make their crushes fall for them? Them falling in love with each other instead? Yep, sign me up! I’m ready.
Find me on:
My Blog
May 18, 2022
Some things have to fall apart because they don’t belong together, but some things belong so much they could never break.
Existiendo libros así, me sigue sorprendiendo como hay gente que dice que no le gusta los libros con representación LGBT+. Este libro es una carta de amor hecha y derecha.
She Gets The Girl era uno de mis libros más anticipados y puedo decir que estoy sumamente feliz que me haya encantado tanto como lo hizo. Ya saben que este tipo de historias son mi debilidad y mi punto debil, pero wow este libro llegó a nuevas alturas y se volvió rápidamente en uno de mis favs.
Alex y Molly son unas BEBAS. Creo que algo que me encantó es el desarrollo y la profundidad que ambas tienen. Alex es alguien con muchas capaz que se exploran en el libro y aunque haya tenido sus momentos bajos, comprendes por completo sus acciones. Molly es alguien con quien no podia creer lo mucho que me estaba identificando. Quise mucho su inocencia, su ingenuidad, su crecimiento y todo todo. Son una de mis parejas favoritas y dos de mis protas favoritas.
Otro de los aspectos que más disfrute es el hecho que este libro esta situado en la universidad. Como es lo que ando viviendo me encantó ver las vibes, la ambientación, la college life y todo. Necesitamos más libros en este rango de edad, porque es necesario ver también a personajes "universitarios" vivir estas historias. Al final del día siguen siendo jóvenes.
La historia en si es una joya. Digo, ¿hate to friends to best friends to lovers? Bye. Fue demasiado épico y quiero quiero quiero MÁS. Una romcom hecha y derecha.
Voy a volver mi misión de este año obligar a que todos lean este libro. Ya se viene el mes del orgullo entonces no hay excusa.
Existiendo libros así, me sigue sorprendiendo como hay gente que dice que no le gusta los libros con representación LGBT+. Este libro es una carta de amor hecha y derecha.
She Gets The Girl era uno de mis libros más anticipados y puedo decir que estoy sumamente feliz que me haya encantado tanto como lo hizo. Ya saben que este tipo de historias son mi debilidad y mi punto debil, pero wow este libro llegó a nuevas alturas y se volvió rápidamente en uno de mis favs.
Alex y Molly son unas BEBAS. Creo que algo que me encantó es el desarrollo y la profundidad que ambas tienen. Alex es alguien con muchas capaz que se exploran en el libro y aunque haya tenido sus momentos bajos, comprendes por completo sus acciones. Molly es alguien con quien no podia creer lo mucho que me estaba identificando. Quise mucho su inocencia, su ingenuidad, su crecimiento y todo todo. Son una de mis parejas favoritas y dos de mis protas favoritas.
Otro de los aspectos que más disfrute es el hecho que este libro esta situado en la universidad. Como es lo que ando viviendo me encantó ver las vibes, la ambientación, la college life y todo. Necesitamos más libros en este rango de edad, porque es necesario ver también a personajes "universitarios" vivir estas historias. Al final del día siguen siendo jóvenes.
La historia en si es una joya. Digo, ¿hate to friends to best friends to lovers? Bye. Fue demasiado épico y quiero quiero quiero MÁS. Una romcom hecha y derecha.
Voy a volver mi misión de este año obligar a que todos lean este libro. Ya se viene el mes del orgullo entonces no hay excusa.
January 2, 2023
it's a SMASH!
Ile ja łez wzruszenia i miłości przy niej wylałam. Czytajcie koniecznie!
TW alk0h0lizm, wypadek, zinternalizowany rasizm, zdrada
Ile ja łez wzruszenia i miłości przy niej wylałam. Czytajcie koniecznie!
TW alk0h0lizm, wypadek, zinternalizowany rasizm, zdrada
April 15, 2022
THIS WAS!!! SO CUTE!!! PLS TURN THIS INTO A MOVIE!!! IT'S THE SAPPHIC COLLEGE ROMCOM WE NEED!!!
April 10, 2022
i'm not crying, you're crying.
August 16, 2022
➳ 0 stars
god bless my persistence for actually finishing this. the heroines here are one of the most insufferable people ever written. my anger issues fucking cheering in the background.
first of all, alex(h) during almost the whole book kinda had a ”girlfriend” natalie. it was complicated though and they were “repairing” their relationship, because alex is a fuck up and flirted with everyone when they were a couple(LMAO). i really don’t understand how someone can even like her, because she so obnoxious and i would never thought she’s written by a gay woman.
that was literally her and molly(h)’s first meeting and alex said this to humiliate her. omg very swoon-worthy im fangirling so hard🥵. that scene reminded me about “after” actually. “wait, aRe YoU a ViRgIn?”😨. it was a moment i knew.
for no one’s surprise, molly has even worse attitude than alex. if someone would punch me every time this bitch judges someone, i would be already in a resuscitation.
exhibition A:
exhibition B:
exhibition C:
this cunt judges everything with two legs istg. what even the last sentence mean?? she’s so dumb it’s funny. i can’t believe that someone can sympathise her in any form. alex is literally trying to help her to start dating cora(molly’s crush) and all she did was whining about how she can’t do anything cause she’s shy🥺. shut up bitch no one cares💓. her whole personality was that she has problems finding friends and that the only best friend she ever had in her life was her own mother.(i just realised that this sound like me lmao im crying)
i actually become very mad when authors add this in their books, because a parent and his child can’t be best friends. u can have trust in a relationship with your parent, but it can’t be friendship. it just drives me nuts when “best friend” and “mother” appear in some kind of relation, because i had very big problems with that in my childhood, so it's more my personal complain. i know in this book the relationship between molly and her mother were shown as a problematic one, but it was more about mother struggling with letting go her child from the "family nest", than about “friendship” between them. also, that problem was added just to explain molly's lack of friends. as a person with strong mommy issues i can say, that everything about that part was pure bullshit and very underdeveloped. rip good representation of serious issues. i miss u😞‼️.
another problematic part of this book was ofc mentions of my favorite stereotypes about lesbians<33
if u haven’t known already, then every girl who wears beanies and a flannel are gay😍‼️😍‼️ and i’m gay because i like art and my friend is gay because he can’t do math!!😊 this book and i kissed shara wheeler can both burn in hell, no one will cry about it. i wish these authors never took a pen in their lives in the first place. they adding these ass steryotypes and "gen-z" jokes as if it makes their books more sale-able.
the ending was very epic tho. such a clown show with the best actors. i laughed my ass off honestly. not everyone were meant to write after all.
(fyi i’m so sorry for natalie. the authors made a bitch out of her, when she was literally the most sane character even counting that she had no personality. in the last chapters natalie called out alex on her shit and she got mad, because.. idk. truth hurts? alex treated natalie like shit all of their relationship and she’s the one who’s mad??)
nah u deserve nothing. eat shit baby girl❤️🔥❤️🔥.
molly’s break up with cora was without a doubt the best part of this book. i was rolling on the floor. i want more of this pls write a bonus content with scenes like this one.
IM SCREAMING. she should’ve patted her on a shoulder for further effect. these cunts molly and alex deserve each other. the match was made in heaven. pls someone put them in isolation.
books like these make me appreciate five star reads a lot more, so im kinda grateful(lmao no).
“Well, I guess I got the girl after all,” she says.
“See? I told you my plan would work.”
“Shut up.” She laughs and reaches out to grab the collar of my T-shirt, tugging me into another kiss.
god bless my persistence for actually finishing this. the heroines here are one of the most insufferable people ever written. my anger issues fucking cheering in the background.
first of all, alex(h) during almost the whole book kinda had a ”girlfriend” natalie. it was complicated though and they were “repairing” their relationship, because alex is a fuck up and flirted with everyone when they were a couple(LMAO). i really don’t understand how someone can even like her, because she so obnoxious and i would never thought she’s written by a gay woman.
“Molly, how old are you?” she asks.
“Eighteen,” I say, sweat creeping down my back as I wait for the punch line.
“Never have I ever been a virgin at eighteen,” Alex finishes.
that was literally her and molly(h)’s first meeting and alex said this to humiliate her. omg very swoon-worthy im fangirling so hard🥵. that scene reminded me about “after” actually. “wait, aRe YoU a ViRgIn?”😨. it was a moment i knew.
for no one’s surprise, molly has even worse attitude than alex. if someone would punch me every time this bitch judges someone, i would be already in a resuscitation.
exhibition A:
I didn’t peg Alex Blackwood to be a reader of the classics.
exhibition B:
“Is this the step in your plan where you tell me I need to get in shape and then we hit the gym? Because I have to tell you, I’m not big into exercise, and—”
“What?” She stops walking and looks over at me, her facial expression all twisted up like I just offended her big-time. “No. Why would I ever tell you something like that?”
“Seems exactly like something you’d say,” I reply, shrugging off her overreaction.
exhibition C:
“Wow, Alex Blackwood is hungry? Who would’ve thought,”
this cunt judges everything with two legs istg. what even the last sentence mean?? she’s so dumb it’s funny. i can’t believe that someone can sympathise her in any form. alex is literally trying to help her to start dating cora(molly’s crush) and all she did was whining about how she can’t do anything cause she’s shy🥺. shut up bitch no one cares💓. her whole personality was that she has problems finding friends and that the only best friend she ever had in her life was her own mother.(i just realised that this sound like me lmao im crying)
I give her another hug because while I know it’s lame… we’re basically best friends. We’ve never explicitly called each oher that, but when you’re this close with someone, it doesn’t need to be said. She’s been my closest friend all through high school. My only friend, if I’m honest.
i actually become very mad when authors add this in their books, because a parent and his child can’t be best friends. u can have trust in a relationship with your parent, but it can’t be friendship. it just drives me nuts when “best friend” and “mother” appear in some kind of relation, because i had very big problems with that in my childhood, so it's more my personal complain. i know in this book the relationship between molly and her mother were shown as a problematic one, but it was more about mother struggling with letting go her child from the "family nest", than about “friendship” between them. also, that problem was added just to explain molly's lack of friends. as a person with strong mommy issues i can say, that everything about that part was pure bullshit and very underdeveloped. rip good representation of serious issues. i miss u😞‼️.
another problematic part of this book was ofc mentions of my favorite stereotypes about lesbians<33
“She’s… definitely straight,” I say, trying to stall, well aware that she’s got a beanie and a flannel on in eighty-degree weather, but it’s not like she’s got a Pride symbol tattooed on her forehead, so…
if u haven’t known already, then every girl who wears beanies and a flannel are gay😍‼️😍‼️ and i’m gay because i like art and my friend is gay because he can’t do math!!😊 this book and i kissed shara wheeler can both burn in hell, no one will cry about it. i wish these authors never took a pen in their lives in the first place. they adding these ass steryotypes and "gen-z" jokes as if it makes their books more sale-able.
the ending was very epic tho. such a clown show with the best actors. i laughed my ass off honestly. not everyone were meant to write after all.
(fyi i’m so sorry for natalie. the authors made a bitch out of her, when she was literally the most sane character even counting that she had no personality. in the last chapters natalie called out alex on her shit and she got mad, because.. idk. truth hurts? alex treated natalie like shit all of their relationship and she’s the one who’s mad??)
“I might not deserve a girl like Molly,” I say, my voice low. “But I know I can sure as hell do better than this.”
nah u deserve nothing. eat shit baby girl❤️🔥❤️🔥.
molly’s break up with cora was without a doubt the best part of this book. i was rolling on the floor. i want more of this pls write a bonus content with scenes like this one.
“Cora, I have liked you for so long. You really have no idea. And when I came to college, I wanted things to be different. I wanted to be different… for you. I’m not really the person you’ve gotten to know this past month. I don’t like rugby or show tunes or art. I hate this dress. I think I look like a Christmas ornament, and I can’t even feel my feet in these heels. Alex has been helping me become the person I thought you would like, but… I guess I ended up becoming, well… me.” I step backward out of her grasp, catching her hands in mine. “Cora, I… I just want to be friends.”
She looks hurt, and stunned, but she nods, falling back a couple of steps.
“I’m sorry. I actually have to go, okay?” I ask, giving her hands a squeeze.
IM SCREAMING. she should’ve patted her on a shoulder for further effect. these cunts molly and alex deserve each other. the match was made in heaven. pls someone put them in isolation.
books like these make me appreciate five star reads a lot more, so im kinda grateful(lmao no).
September 30, 2022
5 stars 🌻
(it's me again being biased and emotional so don't take my review seriously thank u)
"There's a difference between a fantasy and, well... love."
"It was always you, Alex."
IM SCREAMING CRYING SMILING PUNCHING AIRE EVAPORATING FLYING.
I found a new favourite book, and I'm so happy for it😭😭. The way I connected with the characters and the plot??? I mean it's been a long time since that happened, so of course I'm going to cry over She Gets The Girl.
I ADORE Molly with my heart. I related so much to her and I found so much comfort—. AND THE WAY HER RELATIONSHIP WITH ALEX DEVELOPED STOP THEY ARE SO CUTE. I mean I always love the "let's help each other to be with the ones we love but hey we end loving each other instead". I was craving for them to be together since they met and id8dkf8fnt. I wanted to punch Natalie tho.
I have to say that the ending was a bit rushed, but I'm biased with this one and I don't care so I'll give it all my stars and tears bye.
(it's me again being biased and emotional so don't take my review seriously thank u)
"There's a difference between a fantasy and, well... love."
"It was always you, Alex."
IM SCREAMING CRYING SMILING PUNCHING AIRE EVAPORATING FLYING.
I found a new favourite book, and I'm so happy for it😭😭. The way I connected with the characters and the plot??? I mean it's been a long time since that happened, so of course I'm going to cry over She Gets The Girl.
I ADORE Molly with my heart. I related so much to her and I found so much comfort—. AND THE WAY HER RELATIONSHIP WITH ALEX DEVELOPED STOP THEY ARE SO CUTE. I mean I always love the "let's help each other to be with the ones we love but hey we end loving each other instead". I was craving for them to be together since they met and id8dkf8fnt. I wanted to punch Natalie tho.
I have to say that the ending was a bit rushed, but I'm biased with this one and I don't care so I'll give it all my stars and tears bye.
August 22, 2023
Pure sapphic joy and problems other than homophobia? Best friends to lovers? Yeah.
January 6, 2022
TW//
She Gets the Girl took me on a fun yet emotional journey that I was not expecting at all. It had the sweet lesbian romance moments that I was hoping for but it also had gut punches that left me on the verge of tears as I tried to process what I was reading.
This book follows two freshmen in college who each have girl problems of their own. Molly has been crushing on a girl since high school and Alex just had a rough break up, but Alex devises a plan to help Molly get together with her crush in the hopes that she can prove that she’s a good person to her ex so that they can get back together.
At the start of the book, I found Alex and Molly to both have major flaws that made it difficult for me to fully love either of them. Alex had a fun personality but she was also toxic and I would’ve hated to know her in real life. Molly was awkward and extremely relatable, but I had massive second hand embarrassment for a ton of her scenes. It was hard to push through my immediate dislike of these characters when I was starting this book, but I kept reading and I soon realized that this book takes the reader on a journey. These characters aren’t just stagnant in their personalities. A large portion of this book was dedicated to self discovery and becoming your true self. Both Alex and Molly were different people in high school than in college, so to see them change throughout the course of this story was a nice, heartfelt journey that made Alex and Molly feel like they were people that could actually exist in our world.
The romance in this one was possibly the most slow burn romance that I’ve ever read and sometimes I got a little impatient, but I was blown away by the thoughtful and intimate friendship that Alex and Molly developed. It felt so real and genuine. I wouldn’t have even been upset if they had remained as just friends because their bond was so deep and beautiful.
There were a few sensitive topics in this book, but I was relieved to see how well they were dealt with. These topics weren’t just in there for shock effect or to add an emotional backstory to characters. They were fully addressed and resolved in meaningful ways. Actually seeing the problems dealt with in a thoughtful way made me emotional because I don’t see that done enough in books.
The only other thing I have to mention is that it was refreshing to read a book that focuses on college aged characters. I feel like there’s not enough books with characters in college and since I’m in college, it was nice to read a book with characters that were somewhat closer to my age.
She Gets the Girl takes some work to get through as it took me quite some time before I started enjoying the book, but it’s well worth the read for anyone who’s looking for a cute sapphic romance.
I won an advanced reader’s copy of this book in a giveaway but that in no way effects my review.
She Gets the Girl took me on a fun yet emotional journey that I was not expecting at all. It had the sweet lesbian romance moments that I was hoping for but it also had gut punches that left me on the verge of tears as I tried to process what I was reading.
This book follows two freshmen in college who each have girl problems of their own. Molly has been crushing on a girl since high school and Alex just had a rough break up, but Alex devises a plan to help Molly get together with her crush in the hopes that she can prove that she’s a good person to her ex so that they can get back together.
At the start of the book, I found Alex and Molly to both have major flaws that made it difficult for me to fully love either of them. Alex had a fun personality but she was also toxic and I would’ve hated to know her in real life. Molly was awkward and extremely relatable, but I had massive second hand embarrassment for a ton of her scenes. It was hard to push through my immediate dislike of these characters when I was starting this book, but I kept reading and I soon realized that this book takes the reader on a journey. These characters aren’t just stagnant in their personalities. A large portion of this book was dedicated to self discovery and becoming your true self. Both Alex and Molly were different people in high school than in college, so to see them change throughout the course of this story was a nice, heartfelt journey that made Alex and Molly feel like they were people that could actually exist in our world.
The romance in this one was possibly the most slow burn romance that I’ve ever read and sometimes I got a little impatient, but I was blown away by the thoughtful and intimate friendship that Alex and Molly developed. It felt so real and genuine. I wouldn’t have even been upset if they had remained as just friends because their bond was so deep and beautiful.
There were a few sensitive topics in this book, but I was relieved to see how well they were dealt with. These topics weren’t just in there for shock effect or to add an emotional backstory to characters. They were fully addressed and resolved in meaningful ways. Actually seeing the problems dealt with in a thoughtful way made me emotional because I don’t see that done enough in books.
The only other thing I have to mention is that it was refreshing to read a book that focuses on college aged characters. I feel like there’s not enough books with characters in college and since I’m in college, it was nice to read a book with characters that were somewhat closer to my age.
She Gets the Girl takes some work to get through as it took me quite some time before I started enjoying the book, but it’s well worth the read for anyone who’s looking for a cute sapphic romance.
I won an advanced reader’s copy of this book in a giveaway but that in no way effects my review.
June 13, 2023
Did I just listen to the audiobook in one sitting? Well, yes I did.
Absolutely loved this 🩷
Absolutely loved this 🩷
November 30, 2022
(4.5) me re llego al cora que se yo búrlense si quieren
May 15, 2022
This was pretty cute! The two main characters were very well written and felt realistic in their personalities and struggles. I do wish the other girls in the story were more developed characters, or at least had more developed relations to Alex and Molly.
Spoilers ⇩
It’s a pet peeve of mine when a book ends the second the couple gets together, and that was the case here. I would’ve liked to see Molly’s side of their kiss, as well as how their families and friends reacted to them being together.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read; I found myself smiling throughout most of Molly and Alex’s banter, and was very happy to hear them reference Killing Eve. I would change a couple things about it, but I think some of my issues could be remedied by a sequel, which I would definitely read!
Spoilers ⇩
It’s a pet peeve of mine when a book ends the second the couple gets together, and that was the case here. I would’ve liked to see Molly’s side of their kiss, as well as how their families and friends reacted to them being together.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read; I found myself smiling throughout most of Molly and Alex’s banter, and was very happy to hear them reference Killing Eve. I would change a couple things about it, but I think some of my issues could be remedied by a sequel, which I would definitely read!
June 18, 2022
Funny, heartwarming and well-written. I feel like I was laughing, smiling, swooning or doing the 🥺 irl because of how much I felt for and empathized with these characters. They are messy and wonderful and wonderfully messy. I saw so much of myself in both of them but I’m more of a Molly than I am an Alex.
Alex is trying to help Molly get the girl of her dreams AKA Cora and along the way they end up falling for each other instead and I’m such a sucker for a story where one person is trying to help the other get the one they’ve always wanted but both end up falling for each other in the end.😩🙏🏻
The banter is so much fun. There’s forced proximity and I-hate-you-but-not-really excellence abound. Amazing character growth and development as well anddd it all happens in a city I have a personal connection to - Pittsburgh - that made it even more special to me.☺️💛
Alex is trying to help Molly get the girl of her dreams AKA Cora and along the way they end up falling for each other instead and I’m such a sucker for a story where one person is trying to help the other get the one they’ve always wanted but both end up falling for each other in the end.😩🙏🏻
The banter is so much fun. There’s forced proximity and I-hate-you-but-not-really excellence abound. Amazing character growth and development as well anddd it all happens in a city I have a personal connection to - Pittsburgh - that made it even more special to me.☺️💛
May 2, 2022
Despite all of the criticism that is to come, I will start with what I liked about this book. Molly’s characterization, for one. She felt very real and relatable to me (shout out to lonely friendless high school losers) and was very easy to empathize with. I really liked watching her growth as the story progressed. Her relationship with her mom was also incredibly interesting and heartbreaking, and I honestly wish we had gotten a little more exploration of it. I also really enjoyed a lot of the stuff surrounding Alex’s relationship with her alcoholic mother, which I also found relatable (shout out to children of alcoholics). There were a handful of moments that rang really true for me (feeling overly responsible for her mom’s well-being, feeling rightly resentful but also guilty). Though some of the logistical stuff regarding their relationship didn’t make a ton of sense to me (how are you able to afford groceries being delivered to your mom’s house twice a week when it didn’t even occur to you to get a job when you moved away to college? how in the world are you able to afford a four year university? how did you even find the time to apply to college and make a plan to move away when it sounds like you are a full-time caretaker of a non-functioning alcoholic? do you even have health insurance? does anyone in this story have health insurance?) Anyway, despite the logistical stuff not making sense, a lot of the emotionality of the character rang very true.
And onto my criticisms.
THE CHARACTERS:
Alex
Part of the reason I really ended up not liking this book is because Alex is the kind of character that is designed precisely for me to hate her. Alex is supposed to be poor, and yet she does not always behave as if this is the case; more so, she does not experience consequences that would make this seem believable to me. She is clearly meant to be a character with edge, but I find this edge unbelievable at best and insufferable at worst. Most of her edge is her being mean and immature, or just stuff that doesn’t really make sense, like the fact that she’s somehow worked at a bar since she was 15 years old. This is lazily explained and also annoying because it feels like an attempt to, again, give Alex some edge, when it would have been more realistic and relatable to just make her work at Dairy Queen. Alex is, as I said, mean and immature, but it’s because she has trauma--which like, fair enough, if she ever bothered to apologize for her behavior, but I’m pretty sure she apologizes a total of once at the very end of the book, and her love interest kisses her before she can even finish giving the apology, so do with that what you will. And though I enjoyed some of the stuff with the alcoholic mom, I honestly found it intensely frustrating that that storyline was tied up as neatly as it was. Maybe I’m just bitter that a nice man who owns a food truck and is secretly very wealthy never paid for my mom’s rehab in full without any expectation that I pay him back, or maybe that plotline is just fucking ridiculous. Or maybe both can be true. Who’s to say?
Molly
I genuinely liked Molly’s character until the very end. I hated that she ended up apologizing to Alex for things that did not necessitate an apology. I hated that she turned suddenly very immature at the end, and despite Cora being nicer to her than Alex ever was, she somehow could not imagine going on without Alex.
THE STORY:
Here is where I give my silly little speech on enemies-to-lovers. Because listen--I love enemies-to-lovers. It is one of my favorite tropes when done well (emphasis on the when done well). In my opinion, enemies-to-lovers works best when our main leads have some kind of misunderstanding and ultimately work through that misunderstanding by getting to know each other, usually becoming better and/or healthier people than they were at the beginning of the book. You want them to end up together because you know both characters will be better for it. Enemies-to-lovers does not work so well when one person is just an asshole and the other is not. Which is my problem with SGTG.
The first scene in which our love interests meet is at a party. Molly is socially awkward and clearly a little uncomfortable, though she is taking some solace in the fact that her long term crush, Cora, is being very nice to her. Alex is drinking and having a fine time. They are playing a game of Never Have I Ever with a large group of people. Molly, who has never done anything, keeps winning, and Alex, who has done lots of cool things, keeps losing. Alex, who assumes Molly must be judging her (despite any evidence of this), embarrasses Molly by saying, “Never have I ever been a virgin at 18,” which is, you know, a shitty thing to do a person you’ve never met before and who has done literally nothing to you. Not only does everyone laugh at Molly, but Alex finds her joke so funny that she literally shakes with laughter. And like, here’s my thing: this is not a misunderstanding so much as it is Alex jumping to conclusions and being an asshole. There is no larger explanation for why she did this other than she felt bad about herself and decided to be mean to a stranger about it. What makes it worse for me is that while Alex later realizes this was wrong and feels really bad about it, she doesn’t actually apologize. She just offers to help Molly get with Cora. And this kind of sets up the overall vibe of the book.
I get that SGTG is meant to be vaguely similar to She’s All That--but to be be fair, I didn’t really like She’s All That, either. I’m just not particularly compelled by the idea of making over a person who didn’t really ask you to do that (especially when that person is already a conventionally pretty feminine woman who simply wants to be feminine in a more acceptable way . . . did I mention this book is overwhelmingly cis and feminine?). Alex constantly makes little digs about Molly, from what kind of frozen yogurt she eats to the fact that she likes rollerskating (for the love of god, Alex, what is so wrong with rollerskating?). She intentionally makes her late for class, she criticizes her clothes, and she doesn’t seem to understand the genuine difficulty that Molly has in social interactions. Honestly, this whole book feels very He’s picking on you because he likes you! and I had a very hard time getting past that, especially because Molly is characterized as having low self-esteem, and I found it fairly unbelievable that Alex was somehow managing to make her feel better about herself, rather than worse.
There is one scene in particular that I have to talk about simply because it encapsulates everything I dislike about this book. Allow me to set the stage: Molly’s crush, Cora, plays rugby. Alex has told Molly to meet her at a specific location at a specific time and to “dress comfortably”, but when Molly asks her to elaborate, she refuses. So Molly shows up to their spot wearing a t-shirt and jean shorts and sneakers, and Alex then has the audacity to ask, “What the hell are you wearing?” This is all supposed to be in good fun, I’m sure, but if someone gave me no warning that we were going to rugby tryouts, a notoriously physical and dangerous sport, and I was not a very physical person, and also my crush was going to be there, I would lose my mind (but maybe that’s just me). Anyway, they’re running across a field to what Molly still doesn’t know is rugby tryouts, and Molly makes a joke. This is the exchange.
“Is this the step in your plan where you tell me I need to get in shape and then we hit the gym? Because I have to tell you, I’m not big on exercise and--”
“What?” She stops walking and looks over at me, her facial expression all twisted up like I just offended her big time. “No. Why would I ever tell you something like that?”
“Seems exactly like something you’d say,” I reply, shrugging off her overreaction.
“You know what, Molly? I know I’m fucking pretty, and yeah, I like to flirt maybe a little too much, but I’m not the self-absorbed, shallow bimbo that everyone thinks I am. That you seem to think I am.” (165-166)
I wish I could say that there is any context that makes this scene make sense, but there just isn’t. I cannot for the life of me understand how Alex jumps from this extremely inane joke to ‘Molly is calling me a stupid bimbo.’ Even worse, after this exchange, Molly apologizes and genuinely seems to feel pretty bad about judging Alex (even though, as far as I can tell, that’s not what happened in this scene? She just made a joke about getting in shape? Which is fair given that Alex is wearing workout clothes and refused to tell Molly where they were going????) Alex is still upset but shrugs it off. There is no leadup to this conversation, no scenes in which Molly assumes Alex is judging her body, no scenes in which Alex says that she’s sensitive about people thinking she’s superficial (which, given some of her actions, I think it’s fair to say that she is a little superficial). It’s also not as if Alex has a track record of being very thoughtful about other people’s feelings, which makes it even weirder that Molly is expected to apologize (and does, multiple times) for making what is ultimately a fine joke, when Alex continuously makes fun of her throughout the entire book. Alex’s behavior in this scene is over the top and unfair to Molly, and yet the book genuinely pushes the idea that Molly was somehow in the wrong here (to the point that Molly eventually says she behaved no better than a man who sexually harasses Alex while she is at work--I wish I were joking). Like I can see the conflict that the book was trying to create here (blonde girl is too pretty, nerdy girl is too judgy) but it just doesn’t pan out and makes the relationship seem really unbalanced. Also, as a side note, the line, “I know I’m fucking pretty” is unintentionally one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. Will be using this line anytime someone tries to criticize me.
My last issue with this story is that I think the subject matter feels far too serious and complicated for how easily it’s wrapped up. Alex may have an alcoholic mother and years of trauma to work through, but she ended up in a relationship with one of the first people she met at college, so doesn’t that just cancel out? Molly may have a mother dealing with deep-seated internalized racism and is finally overcoming her overwhelming loneliness, but now she’s dating someone who is vaguely mean to her most of the time, so isn’t everything solved and put away? The book’s message just rubbed me the wrong way, and while I can see why people would enjoy it (mainly gay people who liked She’s All That), I am simply not one of those people.
So, you know. Two stars.
And onto my criticisms.
THE CHARACTERS:
Alex
Part of the reason I really ended up not liking this book is because Alex is the kind of character that is designed precisely for me to hate her. Alex is supposed to be poor, and yet she does not always behave as if this is the case; more so, she does not experience consequences that would make this seem believable to me. She is clearly meant to be a character with edge, but I find this edge unbelievable at best and insufferable at worst. Most of her edge is her being mean and immature, or just stuff that doesn’t really make sense, like the fact that she’s somehow worked at a bar since she was 15 years old. This is lazily explained and also annoying because it feels like an attempt to, again, give Alex some edge, when it would have been more realistic and relatable to just make her work at Dairy Queen. Alex is, as I said, mean and immature, but it’s because she has trauma--which like, fair enough, if she ever bothered to apologize for her behavior, but I’m pretty sure she apologizes a total of once at the very end of the book, and her love interest kisses her before she can even finish giving the apology, so do with that what you will. And though I enjoyed some of the stuff with the alcoholic mom, I honestly found it intensely frustrating that that storyline was tied up as neatly as it was. Maybe I’m just bitter that a nice man who owns a food truck and is secretly very wealthy never paid for my mom’s rehab in full without any expectation that I pay him back, or maybe that plotline is just fucking ridiculous. Or maybe both can be true. Who’s to say?
Molly
I genuinely liked Molly’s character until the very end. I hated that she ended up apologizing to Alex for things that did not necessitate an apology. I hated that she turned suddenly very immature at the end, and despite Cora being nicer to her than Alex ever was, she somehow could not imagine going on without Alex.
THE STORY:
Here is where I give my silly little speech on enemies-to-lovers. Because listen--I love enemies-to-lovers. It is one of my favorite tropes when done well (emphasis on the when done well). In my opinion, enemies-to-lovers works best when our main leads have some kind of misunderstanding and ultimately work through that misunderstanding by getting to know each other, usually becoming better and/or healthier people than they were at the beginning of the book. You want them to end up together because you know both characters will be better for it. Enemies-to-lovers does not work so well when one person is just an asshole and the other is not. Which is my problem with SGTG.
The first scene in which our love interests meet is at a party. Molly is socially awkward and clearly a little uncomfortable, though she is taking some solace in the fact that her long term crush, Cora, is being very nice to her. Alex is drinking and having a fine time. They are playing a game of Never Have I Ever with a large group of people. Molly, who has never done anything, keeps winning, and Alex, who has done lots of cool things, keeps losing. Alex, who assumes Molly must be judging her (despite any evidence of this), embarrasses Molly by saying, “Never have I ever been a virgin at 18,” which is, you know, a shitty thing to do a person you’ve never met before and who has done literally nothing to you. Not only does everyone laugh at Molly, but Alex finds her joke so funny that she literally shakes with laughter. And like, here’s my thing: this is not a misunderstanding so much as it is Alex jumping to conclusions and being an asshole. There is no larger explanation for why she did this other than she felt bad about herself and decided to be mean to a stranger about it. What makes it worse for me is that while Alex later realizes this was wrong and feels really bad about it, she doesn’t actually apologize. She just offers to help Molly get with Cora. And this kind of sets up the overall vibe of the book.
I get that SGTG is meant to be vaguely similar to She’s All That--but to be be fair, I didn’t really like She’s All That, either. I’m just not particularly compelled by the idea of making over a person who didn’t really ask you to do that (especially when that person is already a conventionally pretty feminine woman who simply wants to be feminine in a more acceptable way . . . did I mention this book is overwhelmingly cis and feminine?). Alex constantly makes little digs about Molly, from what kind of frozen yogurt she eats to the fact that she likes rollerskating (for the love of god, Alex, what is so wrong with rollerskating?). She intentionally makes her late for class, she criticizes her clothes, and she doesn’t seem to understand the genuine difficulty that Molly has in social interactions. Honestly, this whole book feels very He’s picking on you because he likes you! and I had a very hard time getting past that, especially because Molly is characterized as having low self-esteem, and I found it fairly unbelievable that Alex was somehow managing to make her feel better about herself, rather than worse.
There is one scene in particular that I have to talk about simply because it encapsulates everything I dislike about this book. Allow me to set the stage: Molly’s crush, Cora, plays rugby. Alex has told Molly to meet her at a specific location at a specific time and to “dress comfortably”, but when Molly asks her to elaborate, she refuses. So Molly shows up to their spot wearing a t-shirt and jean shorts and sneakers, and Alex then has the audacity to ask, “What the hell are you wearing?” This is all supposed to be in good fun, I’m sure, but if someone gave me no warning that we were going to rugby tryouts, a notoriously physical and dangerous sport, and I was not a very physical person, and also my crush was going to be there, I would lose my mind (but maybe that’s just me). Anyway, they’re running across a field to what Molly still doesn’t know is rugby tryouts, and Molly makes a joke. This is the exchange.
“Is this the step in your plan where you tell me I need to get in shape and then we hit the gym? Because I have to tell you, I’m not big on exercise and--”
“What?” She stops walking and looks over at me, her facial expression all twisted up like I just offended her big time. “No. Why would I ever tell you something like that?”
“Seems exactly like something you’d say,” I reply, shrugging off her overreaction.
“You know what, Molly? I know I’m fucking pretty, and yeah, I like to flirt maybe a little too much, but I’m not the self-absorbed, shallow bimbo that everyone thinks I am. That you seem to think I am.” (165-166)
I wish I could say that there is any context that makes this scene make sense, but there just isn’t. I cannot for the life of me understand how Alex jumps from this extremely inane joke to ‘Molly is calling me a stupid bimbo.’ Even worse, after this exchange, Molly apologizes and genuinely seems to feel pretty bad about judging Alex (even though, as far as I can tell, that’s not what happened in this scene? She just made a joke about getting in shape? Which is fair given that Alex is wearing workout clothes and refused to tell Molly where they were going????) Alex is still upset but shrugs it off. There is no leadup to this conversation, no scenes in which Molly assumes Alex is judging her body, no scenes in which Alex says that she’s sensitive about people thinking she’s superficial (which, given some of her actions, I think it’s fair to say that she is a little superficial). It’s also not as if Alex has a track record of being very thoughtful about other people’s feelings, which makes it even weirder that Molly is expected to apologize (and does, multiple times) for making what is ultimately a fine joke, when Alex continuously makes fun of her throughout the entire book. Alex’s behavior in this scene is over the top and unfair to Molly, and yet the book genuinely pushes the idea that Molly was somehow in the wrong here (to the point that Molly eventually says she behaved no better than a man who sexually harasses Alex while she is at work--I wish I were joking). Like I can see the conflict that the book was trying to create here (blonde girl is too pretty, nerdy girl is too judgy) but it just doesn’t pan out and makes the relationship seem really unbalanced. Also, as a side note, the line, “I know I’m fucking pretty” is unintentionally one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. Will be using this line anytime someone tries to criticize me.
My last issue with this story is that I think the subject matter feels far too serious and complicated for how easily it’s wrapped up. Alex may have an alcoholic mother and years of trauma to work through, but she ended up in a relationship with one of the first people she met at college, so doesn’t that just cancel out? Molly may have a mother dealing with deep-seated internalized racism and is finally overcoming her overwhelming loneliness, but now she’s dating someone who is vaguely mean to her most of the time, so isn’t everything solved and put away? The book’s message just rubbed me the wrong way, and while I can see why people would enjoy it (mainly gay people who liked She’s All That), I am simply not one of those people.
So, you know. Two stars.
March 15, 2023
3.5 Stars easily rounded up to 4!
I haven't had the best luck with Rachael Lippincott but this YA LGBTQIA romance was really engaging. I think the key factor for enjoyment was that I adored both of the main characters. They were relatable and had a real warmth to them. I found myself smiling whilst reading some of the cute moments.
I haven't had the best luck with Rachael Lippincott but this YA LGBTQIA romance was really engaging. I think the key factor for enjoyment was that I adored both of the main characters. They were relatable and had a real warmth to them. I found myself smiling whilst reading some of the cute moments.
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