An absolutely stunning, but also incredibly important novel about best friends and discovering who you are." —Mason Deaver, bestselling author of I Wish You All the Best Now, this could all make the book sound heavy and not exactly like rom com material but that’s where the brilliance of She Drives Me Crazy lies. Scottie’s difficult and messy character development and relationships are juxtaposed over the most lighthearted and fun setting and tropes, creating a perfect balance. Set in a small town named for its year long Christmas emporium, this book is merry and over the top and so much fun! This really shines through the side characters, particularly Honey Belle who I adored! She’s just sugary sweet and soft and exactly what you’d expect from a family running a Christmas emporium. The characters of this book were all so loveable and I particularly loved Danielle, Scottie’s best friend, and Scottie’s family. They weren’t always perfect and had some of their own issues but I loved seeing their relationships with Scottie and the way they all came through for and supported each other. I could speak about how cleverly written the characters and relationships were in this book endlessly but I’ll let you experience that for yourself! You would think, based

After losing spectacularlyto her ex-girlfriend in their first basketball game since their break up, Scottie Zajac gets into a fender bender with the worst possible person: her nemesis, the incredibly beautiful and incredibly mean cheerleading captain, Irene Abraham. Things only get worse when their nosey, do-gooder moms get involved and the girls are forced to carpool together until Irene’s car gets out of the shop. My first ever Kelly Quindlen book is a success! I’d heard that the strength in Quindlen’s books lay in her characters and this could not be more accurate. She Drives Me Crazy is a masterclass on creating messy, hurt and angry characters; characters that aren’t in a good place and act accordingly and then giving them space to heal and develop in the most natural way. Scottie, our main character, isn’t always likeable. In fact, she can be a downright bitch at times. She makes mistakes, lashes out and hurts people but she has an amazing support network who want what’s best for her and help her begin to find herself again and heal from the aftermath of a toxic relationship. Additionally, her behaviour is not excused just because she was hurting and I loved seeing her accept responsibility for her actions. The writing of this book was incredible. I read this in two sittings and absolutely flew through it – in fact, it could have been one sitting if I hadn't started it so late at night. The story and Scottie’s voice just immediately gripped me and I couldn’t put it down. With a fast pace, great dialogue and just so much fun, reading She Drives Me Crazy was a joy. The crowd starts booing me. The Candlehawk players throw me scathing, superior looks, except for Tally, who grimaces like I’ve become unhinged. My coach freezes where she stands, clearly unsure of what a technical foul is. This was a very nice sapphic Romance. Although with some questionable attitudes, Scottie and Irene were very nice, very flawed individuals. Sadly all the situations felt kind of artificial, at least until the middle; but after coming clean it all became more natural, and they started to grow on me. I found myself enjoying and liking a lot more all the secondary characters. Danielle, Kevin, Honey-Belle, Gunther, Thora and the adorably unpredictable little Daphne. On the other hand, hated Tally, and Charlotte. I think a bit more laugh out loud moments and an occasional different pov besides Scottie's could have worked wonders. Still, some very heartwarming moments, and a few tear jerking ones as well, with an intensive nonstop slow burn. A powerful message on the importance of communication and respecting the healing process. In all, a highly enjoyable read. Enemies to lovers, fake dating, LGTB, YA and a lot of movie references. Almost fav.She Drives Me Crazy is a little bit ridiculous in the best way possible. Quindlen expertly balances creating three dimensional characters and exploring the impact of toxic relationships with all the campy trappings of a 90’s rom com. With a fake dating scheme for the ages between two sworn enemies, the only one bed trope and a Christmas town setting, She Drives Me Crazy is the most unapologetically fun book I’ve read in ages. Late to the Party is right on time to being your favorite read. I didn’t want my time with Quindlen’s characters to end.” —Sara Farizan, Lambda Award–winning author of If You Could Be Mine I thought 2020 is THAT year for us gays, but it seems like from now on every year will be THAT year.

anyway. scottie initiates the fake dating drama in the hope of evoking jealousy from her ex, tally (who happens to be on the rival basketball team). i expected this to turn into a straightforward romance between scottie and irene, but i was impressed by the nuance. Because before you can worry about who’s in your passenger seat, you have to learn to drive yourself.” The Writing was super fun to read! I loved how the author carried the plot and it had all of my favorite tropes! Hey, asshole!” I shout to the Candlehawk player. She turns around, scandalized. So do the rest of her teammates, including a bewildered Tally. “My name is Scottie!” Irene is such a cool person. She's smart funny brave and headstrong. She won't take shit from anyone. Though she may appear all strong and evil, she is actually a cinnamon roll.🥺

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One thing I also loved about the plot was the way that teens were portrayed. Honestly I don’t really notice when teens are portrayed in a meh or okay way (as in it would have to be really bad for me to notice) but I really felt like this book captured so many of the stressful aspects of going to school and thinking about how the rest of your life is gonna go, along with the other parts of being a teenager in the modern world. Of course, there were still some cliche parts, but that’s to be expected. A love letter to late bloomers, Late to the Party combines teenage angst with first loves and second chances and emphasises that true friends will always be there for you even as you discover new parts of yourself." — The Nerd Daily A cast of characters you'll fall in love with and a love story you'll be obsessed with— She Drives Me Crazy is one of my favorite rom-coms of the year. Trust me when I say you need this book." —Leah Johnson, author of You Should See Me in a Crown