My New Crush Gave to Me by Shani Petroff | Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This sweet, funny holiday romance from the author of Romeo And What’s Her Name features cute boys, plenty of rom-com mishaps, and a determined heroine readers are certain to fall for.

Charlotte “Charlie” Donovan knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: Teo Ortiz. He’s a star athlete, a National Honor Society member, and the most popular guy in school. Plus he contributes to the school paper, where Charlie is a co-editor. Basically, he's exactly the type of guy Charlie’s looking for. The only problem is—he barely knows she exists.

But Charlie has a plan: rig the paper’s Secret Santa and win his heart with the perfect gift. The catch? She has no idea what to get him. Enter J.D. Ortiz–Teo’s cousin, and possibly the most annoying person on the planet. He’s easy going, laid back, disorganized, and spontaneous—the exact opposite of Charlie (and Teo). But he knows what Teo wants, so she’s stuck with him.

Yet, the more time Charlie spends with J.D., the more she starts to wonder: Does she really know what, or rather who, she wants for Christmas?

Shani Petroff's newest young adult comedy of errors, My New Crush Gave to Me, is the perfect read for those searching for some love and laughter along with their holiday spirit.

Praise for Romeo and What's Her Name:

"Petroff’s latest offering, published by Macmillan’s crowdsourced imprint, will delight romance lovers with its fast pace and humorous tone. This sweet, lighthearted look at high school romantic foibles will be of particular interest to fans of books by Ann Brashares and Jennifer Echols." —School Library Journal

"Flirty and fun." —Booklist

"[Emily is] the American Bridget Jones...this book is simply amazing!" —Jenn, reader on SwoonReads.com

"The characters, the pacing, the plot are all on point! Absolutely hilarious book!" —Sara, reader on SwoonReads.com

My New Crush Gave To Me by Shani Petroff is basically what I wanted out of a holiday YA romance book. Unfortunately it has kind of ruined other books for me. I mean, now that I am getting into reading other holiday books after this one, I find myself irritated. They aren’t as snappy or as page turning as this book was. What I am trying to get at is that I really enjoyed My New Crush Gave To Me and would be confident recommending it if you want something Christmas themed and fast.

Shani Petroff’s My New Crush Gave To Me follows main character Charlie who is a co-editor of the newspaper and trying to land a date for this girl Noelle’s birthday party. Charlie sets her cap for Teo Ortiz who is quarterback of the football team, allegedly good looking, and a real go getter just like her. Her plan to win him over basically has her rigging secret Santa so she draws his name. She relies on JD, his cousin, for help coming up with gifts. JD annoys her but she’ll put up with him if it means getting what she wants. Of course you guys YOU GUYS you already know how this is going to play out — all that time spent with someone annoying at first? YEP YEP. Your predictions are probably dead on but don’t let that stop you from reading this book.

Okay so I just really enjoyed my time with this book. It’s cute. It is a fast read. The characters are people that I enjoyed reading about. I am a fan of the tropes involved here. ALSO! I did not mention this, but, Charlie’s best friendship with her co-editor Morgan is awesome. It is a depiction of a healthy and supportive friendship. No backstabbing or drama. I loved it. Oh and then there’s Charlie’s mom who from what I gather is a busy doctor but also really supportive and really cares about Charlie. Like not only are the main characters fun to read about, but I liked the side characters.

On A Scale Of One To Buddy The Elf, How Much Christmas Spirit Does This Book Have?

THERE IS CHRISTMAS CAROLING IN CHRISTMAS COSTUMES. Guys I am shouting that from the rooftops because it dials Christmas up to 11 and I am here for it. For real, if you need to QUICKLY get into the holiday spirit here is the book for you. Also bonus Hanukkah parts!

Other reviews of My New Crush Gave To Me by Shani Petroff:

• Vicky Who Reads – “would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes Hallmark movies“
• Arctic Books – “the overall tone of the story is appealing“
• Adele Is Reading – “I liked pretty much everything about this novel“

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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