Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Mental and physical health rep (OCD, celiac, dyslexia, autism)

➮ BIPOC rep

➮ Curvy FMC

➮ Enemies to lovers

➮ Ex-best friend

➮ LGBTQ+ rep

Synopsis

Bradley Graeme is 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. Her followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption. These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. When Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad. Forced to work as a team, these two teens trudge through their messy past. 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? 

Best Quote From the Book

“Even if neither of us ever did anything interesting in our entire lives, it wouldn’t matter. You don’t need to be special or significant to have value. You’re just important, always, and people either see that or they don’t. They either love you, or they don’t."

LGBTQ+ Representation

5/5 🌈

Bradley identifies as bisexual. This is positively represented and all characters are supported. It is not overly focused on but does impact him as a character.

My Thoughts

You name any kind of representation category and this book has it. BIPOC rep, LGBTQ+ rep, mental health rep, and more! I love how Hibbert wanted to have a truly diverse cast of characters. Thankfully this representation didn't feel like an obligation or something to earn brownie points with underrepresented communities. 

I love the chemistry between Bradley and Celine. It is so legitimately funny. I was laughing out loud at work multiple times while listening to it. Particularly the scene in which they are having a full-blown conversation with a tree. It really just spoke to their characters. Hibbert does an excellent job blending comedic moments with more serious moments. 

Celine and Bradley have a dynamic with justifiable depth. It makes sense why there is some discomfort they share and a level of awkwardness. With things getting so twisted in their past, they both have a chip on their shoulders. They actually work through it and learn how to effectively communicate with each other. It provides a good example of how people can discuss and work through things to build an encouraging relationship. 

Bradley is one of the most genuinely supportive characters I have read about. He wants the world for Celine and it is so sweet to see. He is also shaping up to be an excellent communicator. He is a high contender for a good book boyfriend. He is actually healthy and pulls his weight in their relationship in every form it takes. 

I liked seeing them have to go through challenges together during the survival course. It was clearly a long-established program. The one thing I felt was missing from the story was more about the history of the program. If it is really so important and illustrious, that should be tapped into. 

Overall this was a cute and clean romance and lots of comedy. I want to give Hibbert all of the awards for fantastic representation and naturally flawed characters. I have already recommended this book to a few people, and I stand by this recommendation.