For our Hot Fun in the Summertime Cannon Book Club, we read Highly Suscipious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert. I also read it for Happily Everyone After book club at The Ripped Bodice. This was Hibbert’s first foray into YA/Young Adult romance. Published by Joy Revolution, an imprint run by Nicola and David Yoon, they strive to publish diverse stories that celebrate joy.
We meet Celine and Bradley in their last year of high school. They are both overachieving Black British teens whose families are friends with each other. They were inseparable through junior high but had a rift when Bradley got into sports and became more popular in high school. Celine is more of a loner with colorful braids and makes TikTok conspiracy videos. She is not exactly a “joiner” and disgusted Bradley makes friends with some of the jocks who rag on her. The pair are forced to reconnect when they are selected to compete for a scholarship through a wilderness survival contest. The close proximity makes these former enemies stop sniping and eventually start making out.
Talia Hibbert has a lot of hype, but I think it’s worth it because she excels at humorous banter and gives her characters realistic depth. Bradley struggles with OCD and wants to be a writer. He can’t seem to finish a book due to wanting it to be perfect. Celine is also a perfectionist and obsessed with winning this competition to get some sort of revenge on her absent father. With some slapstick comedy and heart, they navigate this pivotal period of figuring out where you want to go to college. The bookstore book club is convinced they won’t last through college, but I want to dream that these two made it. They used to hate each other and fall in love despite trying to avoid each other. I also loved reading a romance from a Black British teen perspective. Read this if you’re looking for a YA rom-com with heart and love Talia’s other books.