About the Book
-
Author:
- Talia Hibbert
- Genres:
- Boy-Girl Romance
- Contemporary
- YA Romance
Cover Story: Fairly Cute
BFF Charms: Yay, Love
Talky Talk: Highly Adorable
Bonus Factors: OCD, Tami Taylor Award for Amazing Momhood
Factor: (Lack of) Conspiracies
Relationship Status: Third Wheel
Content Warning: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute features a character with OCD. He has it well in hand, but he does experience episodes of intrusive thoughts that might be triggering for some readers.
Cover Story: Fairly Cute
At this point in my review career—and at this point the timeline of cover images—an illustrated cover has to be Something Special to draw me in. This one is fine? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I appreciate how it the characters are accurately portrayed, but there’s a lack of dimension to anything else that literally falls flat. And why are the birds green?
The Deal:
Celine Bangura has a Plan. She’ll graduate at the top of her class, study law at Cambridge, and have a massively successful law career, emulating her idol, famed lawyer Katharine Breakspeare. The first step to getting there? Attend the prestigious Brakespeare Enrichment Program, win a scholarship, and in doing so expand her network of people who could help her along the way.
There’s a problem, though, and his name is Bradley Graeme. Celine’s unfairly hot, suspiciously nice, ex-best friend who all of a sudden wants to be a Breakspeare Enrichment Program attendee as well—and who might not be as ex as Celine might have assumed.
BFF Charm: Yay, Love
Due to some situations in her past, namely her father leaving her mom, sister, and her for his mistress, Celine can be a tough nut to crack. She hides behind a veneer of sarcasm and witty quips—which are very witty—and is more focused on her goals post-school than she is making nice while she’s still there. She’s hesitant to let people into her life, lest she get left again, but I’d be willing to put in the work to get to know her and help her see that I am not someone who’d cut and run on her.
Brad is the kind of guy that everyone likes, and for good reason. He’s hot, he’s funny, he’s kind. He has a good handle on what’s right and wrong, calls himself out on mistakes, and stands up for folks who people walk all over. Had we not gotten his POV in Highly Suspicious, he would have seemed too good to be true (even with Celine’s insistence that he’s The Worst.) Thankfully, I got to know him quite well, and found his inner struggles with OCD and his imposter syndrome—his family is full of overachievers—made him someone I’d like to know, more than just in the makeout sense.
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
The chemistry between Celine and Bradley is immediate and apparent to everyone but the two of them. It’s delightful to see them go from mortal enemies to hesitant friends to friends with benefits to … I just hope that wherever they end up, they continue to make fun of each other (in jest) whenever they can. Their banter is just too good!
Talky Talk: Highly Adorable
I’ve read one of Hibbert’s adult romance novels, and while I remember enjoying it quite a bit, I don’t remember it being as fun as Highly Suspicious. I was grinning while reading this book, y’all. Both Celine and Brad’s POVs are delightful and nuanced, and their dialogue—both internal and external—is the kind that is amazing yet totally unbelievable (in the best of ways).
“Bradley rolls his eyes. The sun is low and the windows in this room are massive, so he looks like the human embodiment of whiskey and woods and an ancient sepia Instagram filter. It’s honestly atrocious.”
Real teenagers don’t talk like this … do they? I was definitely not this witty as a teen. (But “ancient sepia Instagram filter”? Kill me now.)
Bonus Factor: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Brad has OCD, and, for the most part, manages it well. But there are instances of him spiraling into his intrusive thoughts and having to talk himself down from panicking. I’m not sure how accurate the portrayal is, but Hibbert has OCD, so I would assume it’s close to what she experiences. (And, obviously, everyone who experiences the condition likely has different experiences.) It’s great to see a boy like this—outwardly pretty much perfect—have a trait that others might see as a character flaw, but who deals with it smartly and doesn’t let it control his life.
Bonus Factor: Tami Taylor Award for Amazing Momhood
Although she’s only seen in a few scenes, Celine’s mother is a truly amazing one. It’s clear where Celine gets her strong will and brashness, and her drive to succeed, no matter what obstacles might pop up in her path.
Factor: (Lack of) Conspiracies
One complaint I have about this novel is that Hibbert doesn’t do enough with Celine’s hobby of talking about and debunking conspiracy theories on her TikTok. It’s a fascinating part of her character, but it’s mentioned only offhandedly a few times to perhaps add to her “quirky” persona. It’s something I would have like to see more of; as it stands, it feels like an afterthought and/or stereotyping.
Relationship Status: Third Wheel
We had an amazing time together, Book, but I know your heart belongs to someone else. Give me a little time and I think I’ll be OK just being friends. But please don’t blame me if I occasionally slip back into Crushtown.
Literary Matchmaking
The main character of Elise Bryant’s Happily Ever Afters is another passionate and driven Black girl who finds love in an unexpected place.
Ben Philippe’s Charming as a Verb also features a Black boy who’s dealing with familial pressure and a love interest who doesn’t quite fit in with the “cool” crowd.
All of Jenn Bennett’s books, including The Anatomical Shape of a Heart, have similar sass meets swoon feels.
FTC Full Disclosure: I bought a copy of this book and got neither a private dance party with Tom Hiddleston nor money in exchange for this review. Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute is available now.
