From the New York Times bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors—and each other.
Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.
Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption—yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.)
These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her.
Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?
Teens & YA | Romance
Publication Date: 03 Jan 2023
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Advance Praise for Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute:
“A pure delight. This book is confirmation: no one does love stories like Talia Hibbert.”—LEAH JOHNSON, bestselling author of You Should See Me in a Crown and Rise to the Sun
-
“An effervescent, funny, tender, and joyous story.”—YAMILE SAIED MÉNDEZ, award-winning author of Furia and Twice a Quinceañera
-
“A razor-sharp, witty enemies-to-lovers rom-com. Readers will laugh out loud and swoon at the same time. Simply unputdownable.”—EMIKO JEAN, New York Times bestselling author of Tokyo Ever After
My Review:
4 Stars:
Book: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute
Rating: 4/5
Author: Talia Hibbert
Genre: Teen & YA | Romance
🗏 Pages: 320
Tropes: Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Childhood Friends, Close Proximity, Miscommunication
Warnings: Parental Abandonment, OCD
Readability: 4/5 italic font is used
First Line: "Its the first day of school, and I'm already being forced to socialize"
Things to expect:
Duel POV
OCD Representation
Plus-Size Representation
Grump x Sunshine
Laugh Out Loud
If I'm suggesting a YA, that means RUN. This was laugh-out-loud adorable and just had me smiling the entire time. Two high schooler seniors who used to be friends find themselves signing up for the same woods survival adventure. They will have to work together to make it out, and maybe something more will happen. This was the cozy warm romcom I needed this winter, and I immensely enjoyed it. I can't wait for what Chole Brown has in store next.
Thanks to TBR & Beyond Tours & Penguin Random House for the advance reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

PRINT LENGTH PAGES
AVERAGE REVIEW RATING
PAPERBACKCOST
E-BOOK COST
AUTHOR
Talia Hibbert is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who lives in a bedroom full of books. Supposedly, there is a world beyond that room, but she has yet to drum up enough interest to investigate.
She writes spicy, diverse romance because she believes that people of marginalised identities need honest and positive representation. Her interests include makeup, junk food, and unnecessary sarcasm. Talia and her many books reside in the English Midlands.
PUBLISHER
Penguin Random House is the international home to more than 300 editorially and creatively independent publishing imprints. Our mission is to ignite a universal passion for reading by creating books for everyone. We believe that books, and the stories and ideas they hold, have the unique capacity to connect us, change us, and carry us toward a better future for generations to come.
Let's Get Started!
Subscribed to my notebook!
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors—and each other.
Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.
Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption—yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.)
These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her.
Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?
Teens & YA | Romance
Publication Date: 03 Jan 2023
-
Advance Praise for Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute:
“A pure delight. This book is confirmation: no one does love stories like Talia Hibbert.”—LEAH JOHNSON, bestselling author of You Should See Me in a Crown and Rise to the Sun
-
“An effervescent, funny, tender, and joyous story.”—YAMILE SAIED MÉNDEZ, award-winning author of Furia and Twice a Quinceañera
-
“A razor-sharp, witty enemies-to-lovers rom-com. Readers will laugh out loud and swoon at the same time. Simply unputdownable.”—EMIKO JEAN, New York Times bestselling author of Tokyo Ever After
My Review:
4 Stars:
📖Book: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute
⭐️Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✍🏼Author: Talia Hibbert
📚Genre: Teen & YA | Romance
🗏 Pages: 320
💕Tropes: Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Childhood Friends, Close Proximity, Miscommunication
⚠️Warnings: Parental Abandonment, OCD
🔖Readability: 4/5 italic font is used
🥇First Line: "Its the first day of school, and I'm already being forced to socialize"
Things to expect:
✨Duel POV
❤️OCD Representation
💞Plus-Size Representation
💛Grump x Sunshine
😂 Laugh Out Loud
If I'm suggesting a YA, that means RUN. This was laugh-out-loud adorable and just had me smiling the entire time. Two high schooler seniors who used to be friends find themselves signing up for the same woods survival adventure. They will have to work together to make it out, and maybe something more will happen. This was the cozy warm romcom I needed this winter, and I immensely enjoyed it. I can't wait for what Chole Brown has in store next.
Thanks to TBR & Beyond Tours & Penguin Random House for the advance reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

PRINT LENGTH PAGES
AVERAGE REVIEW RATING
PAPERBACK COST
E-BOOK COST
AUTHOR
Talia Hibbert is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who lives in a bedroom full of books. Supposedly, there is a world beyond that room, but she has yet to drum up enough interest to investigate.
She writes spicy, diverse romance because she believes that people of marginalized identities need honest and positive representation. Her interests include makeup, junk food, and unnecessary sarcasm. Talia and her many books reside in the English Midlands.
PUBLISHER
Penguin Random House is the international home to more than 300 editorially and creatively independent publishing imprints. Our mission is to ignite a universal passion for reading by creating books for everyone. We believe that books, and the stories and ideas they hold, have the unique capacity to connect us, change us, and carry us toward a better future for generations to come.
Let's Get Started!
Subscribed to my notebook!