"Are you finding what you're looking for?"
"Better," he said. "I found something I wasn't looking for."

This book took me completely by surprise, in more ways than one! First, because I won this book in a Mystery Pre-Order giveaway, so I didn't even know I had won it until it arrived at my doorstep! Two, because YA contemporary is not a genre I EVER read. I don't think I have a single other contemporary on my shelves (although this book may change that!) And third, because it ended up being exactly the book I needed to read this week.

In fact, I put another book back on the shelf to pick this one up, because I needed something more lighthearted and easy than a sweeping fantasy series (with a lot of worldbuilding to keep up with)! Honestly, the cover was just so cute, and after reading a few , if felt it would do the job of helping me to rest a bit more while reading.

And I am so glad I picked this book up! It truly blew me away. Where do I even begin?

The author did such a fantastic job of lacing together very witty writing that is both fun and clever while also being informative, into an exciting but cozy plot, with a great cast of characters and the perfect dash of romance.

While the plot does have the air of "unrealistic teen dream trip", it is one hundred percent the kind of adventure I would want to go on if I visited the UK! The entire scavenger hunt was such a fun way to spend with with the great literary classics, and it was so fun to watch Britt get to have experiences that mimic iconic moments from classic literature.

We're talking Dickens, Austen, Sherlock, the Inklings (Lewis & Tolkien), Shakespeare and Chaucer!

"I hate to see a pretty girl drinking alone."
"Then don't look at me while I continue reading my book"

Luke, Britt, and Al were all amazing in their own ways. I tabbed this book, and I have five tabs just making times I was obsessed with Al. She has perfectly dry humor, acting nonchalant at every turn, and she was such a *fun* character.

"Forigve me for running away?" I asked.
"If you forgive me for not chasing after you."

Luke and Britt are such a great pairing, while they are opposites in a lot of ways - Luke is a nerd, Britt is an athlete; Luke is reserved, Britt is outgoing - they also compliment each other perfectly, and their personal struggles and journeys of discovery mirror each other so well. Not to mention they have just the most adorkably swoony romance. Chapter 18 was just my absolutely favorite.

"Sometimes you need other people to help you see yourself more clearly."

But the themes are the things that grabbed hold of me and just would not, could not let go of me. And while the writing, characters, and plot were all phenomenal, it is the themes in the stories that push it beyond five stars into something life changing.

"It's better not to love something, isn't it? It's harder to get hurt if you don't care."

Britt is a girl who thought she had her life figured out with soccer, but after a bad injury she is having to start over, figure out what she what's to be. Who she wants to be. The kind of loss and grief that she has to first acknowledge, and then process, is so relatable in a way we don't talk about a lot. When we think of grief, we think of the death of a death, but grieving the death of a dream is extremely painful in its own way. The way Becky Dean navigates this journey with Britt is so authentic and relatable, giving space for Britt to make mistakes and grow, and for us to learn by experiencing the journey with her.

"I believe you will move on, but it's okay not to be okay."

This story is so much about learning to let go of the expectations and dreams you have for yourself and your life. But it's more than just letting for, it's also giving yourself the freedom to love something new without fear of losing that too. It is such a deep concept that I've never seen explored so well, this idea that every time you lose something, it makes loving something new even harder. Just beautifully done, and so incredibly encouraging for me in the season of life I am in right now.

"Forgiveness is acknowledging that they hurt you but moving forward and letting go of bitterness."

Not to mention, there are always great themes of trying new things, forgiveness, second chances, and humility. There is a lot of great things going on in this book.

"I have you to thank for helping me discover who I want to be. No what, but who."

Love & Other Great Expections is such a story of hope, and I am so looking forward to lending it out every one I know! While literary lovers will definitely enjoy this book hands down, it has a deep message of truth that I think can encourage any heart.

Definitely Literature Approved.

Also, please note it was incredibly hard for me to pick just a few quotes and not copy and paste the entire book. So many great lines!31 s Nova McBeeAuthor 6 books161

Anyone looking for a sweet, clean read or who loves traveling, adventure, cute nerdy British boys, British literature, lots of banter, and coming of age stories will enjoy this book!
Great for 13+!
28 s1 comment Syndi3,179 924

DNF

I am sadly putting Love $ Other Great Expectation to my DNF pile. My DNF pile is growing.
Miss Dean is writing the story is putting together a blog and adding choppy conversation/ banter. As a YA novel, the book is lacking moral message to empower yourself.

There is no chemistry whatsoever with the characters. Everything seems cold and forced.
Enough said. Moving on.

2 starsdnf19 s Brittanica Bold339 36

This was such a cute debut novel by Becky Dean. If you enjoy Kasie West, Morgan Matson, and Jenn Bennett, this is a must read!

What I initially thought was going to be another Breakfast Club reimagining (because we don’t have enough of those terrible creations in existence…), turned into a cross between Meant To Be and Today Tonight Tomorrow that I loved!

In this fast-paced, swoony homage to The Canterbury Tales, not only will their literary educations be tested, but past buried issues will be dug up, treacherous plans for winning will unfold, and some of them will discover more about themselves than they ever imagined.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and Becky Dean for the opportunity to read this ARC. The opinions expressed below are my own.

What I d about the book:
1. I loved the trip through the UK, especially with the classic literature themed hunt! As someone who has had their UK trip planned out for at least 2 decades, (which, yes!, includes going to places in some of my favorite books and the dwellings of some of my favorite authors) I will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS read books where young people traipse through Europe and find themselves. It’s definitely a favorite theme of mine, and Becky Dean didn’t disappoint! I felt I was in the UK right along with Britt for the ride!


2. As previously mentioned, I loved the literary tie ins, but I especially d how there were a lot of critical thinking sessions and deep conversations between Luke and Britt about how those classics relate to real life.

The high-level thinking in this book reminded me of late nights chatting with my dad at a young age about existential and philosophical things, given we are both terrible overthinkers and insomniacs. These are some of my fondest memories from my adolescence, and I was happy to revisit those feelings again <3

3. I loved the storytelling aspect that came through in Britt’s journey. She was so good at it and I hung on her every word! She was creative and a true showman without even realizing it, which I loved since she just chalked herself up to a dumb jock most of the time.

4. I absolutely adored all of the dry British humor brought in by Al and Luke. It was perfect especially contrasted to Britt’s loud and garish humor. And who doesn’t love a Monty Python reference???


5. Not only was the anxiety of being a young person captured perfectly, but the budding young romance brought me back to days of yesteryear. The fleeting glances, the constant butterflies, the “did he mean to touch my hand?!?!” moments, the intense blushing….sigh, youth truly is wasted on the young.


6. I d how Britt and Amberlyn came to an understanding and put to bed all their old issues, but they also didn’t become fast friends after. That is so realistic and I appreciated the author not just putting a bow on it and making them BFFs again.

7. Main character Brittany “Britt” Hanson finally represented a non-toxic Brittany (that doesn’t happen as often as you would think). And yes, this gets its own bullet point because she spells her name the right way, dammit!


What didn't do it for me:
1. I wanted a bit more from the characters. We got a lot of introspectiveness with Britt, which was good, but we didn’t get too much with the other characters. I wanted to know more about Luke, Al, and Amberlyn, even Spence and Peter. This book definitely had me wanting more books to get to know the other three competitors, but that just won’t work with how this book wrapped up.

Unfortunately, I’ll probably never get an Amberlyn + Nick book, a Peter working for Ms. C book, or a Spence learning to not be a tool book. I’ve made peace with this.

2. Not to be that person, but I’m fairly certain this should be considered a treasure hunt rather than a scavenger hunt…I’ll see my snobbish ass out


4 go-find-yourself stars!netgalley16 s Maren’s Reads741 1,183

Read if you :
? UK setting
? YA Insta love
? Classic literature

Summary: When English lit instructor Ms. Carmichael offers High School Senior Britt Hanson and several of her classmates an offer of a lifetime - a scavenger hunt in the UK with a $100K prize - none can refuse. Upon arriving, Britt becomes immediately smitten with Londoner Luke Jackson, and soon the two are working together to help her win the jackpot.

Thoughts: In order to enjoy this book, you must first suspend any sense of disbelief as the premise of the book seems a bit absurd. Ms. Carmichael refers to the scavenger hunt as a “unconventional endeavor,” and that it certainly is.

Once we move past that, I think this was a cute rom-com for juveniles/young adults that touches on some pretty important and heavy topics such as self esteem, friendship, parental abandonment, etc. The ways in which the author wove these issues into the storyline, and then addressed them head on, was excellent.

What I felt was missing, however, was more in-depth character development across the board. This was a story about adventure, and therefore was more plot heavy, and less about the characters. While this will not necessarily be a negative thing for some, for me, it created an inability to connect with any of the characters.

I did a partial audiobook read as well reading on my kindle, and I would say the narrator did a decent job portraying each of the characters and was clear and concise in her narration.

A super cute cover and an overall average YA romance. I would recommend it primarily to much younger audiences (as opposed to YA that’s a bit more mature) or to those who really love the tropes presented.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
e-galley24 s Alissa J. ZavalianosAuthor 6 books385

Okay so this book was perfection.

First of all, I LOVED all of the literary connections, especially Tolkien and Lewis! And then Sherlock Holmes, Jane Austen, King Arthur, Shakespeare, and Chaucer! Ahh, It just made my literature-loving heart so giddy.

And then all the friendships! Okay, so Spence, Peter, Britt, and Amberley (or however it’s spelt) really have some beef with one another. I love how throughout the story, some of those issues get unearthed and they learn to forgive and move on. I perhaps would have d a bit more closure when it came to Peter’s story, but maybe that’s a book for another time?

And don’t even get me started about Luke. He was perfect for Britt in every way. His willingness to tag along with her adventures and “help” but also not help because that’s technically cheating, and yet watching their friendship to more unfold…*sigh* it was perfection.

And Al! Ahh, I loved her friendship with Britt. Seriously so funny and so much sarcasm
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