Begin Again
“He stares at our intertwined fingers, shifting the warmth of his further into mine, easing his own pressure into it. And this—this is why I love what I do. Why I want to spend my whole life doing it. For these heart-stuttering, breathtaking moments when you realize that if you carve us all down to our barest parts, we’re all the same.”
Summary
Andie Rose has been dreaming of Blue Ridge State since she was a baby. It was where her parents met, where her mom started a legacy, and where Andie knows she's meant to be. So when she doesn't get in originally, Andie is heartbroken--especially because her long-term boyfriend, Connor, does. After spending her first semester at community college, Andie shows up at Blue Ridge ready to surprise Connor with news of her transfer, only to find that he transferred too, back to their hometown to be with her.
Undeterred, Andie settles into her new dorm, quickly befriending her R.A., Milo, and her roommate, Shay. Her and Connor will just do another semester of long distance, and then he'll transfer back to Blue Ridge. It will be fine! But Andie quickly realizes that nothing is that easy. Second semester freshmen are the only ones allowed to compete for ribbons, a Blue Ridge tradition started when Andie's mom was a freshmen. All semester freshmen participate in challenges to earn ribbons--blue, yellow, and red--and at the end, students with enough ribbons can enter the secret society attached to each color. Of course, with Connor gone, Andie now has to collect enough ribbons for two.
Beyond the ribbons, Andie's also juggling new friends, living away from home, an absent (but trying) father, work-study, a brutal statistics class, and the gnawing feeling that her boyfriend isn't being entirely truthful.
In Connor's absence, Andie's new friends quickly fill the empty space. Shay, her book loving roommate who can't figure out a major; Valeria, her stats tutor with a complicated situationship; and Milo, her over-caffeinated, grumpy, lovable R.A. who just happens to be the Knight, the host of the underground radio station her mother started. As Andie's life becomes overwhelmed with her favorite pastime, fixing people, Milo constantly works to keep Andie grounded, and focused on what's most important. Yet Andie can't help but continue to spread herself too thin: she has to get enough ribbons for her and Connor, she has to find a major for Shay, she has to wean Milo off caffeine so he sleeps, she has to guide Valeria in her relationship, she has to answer emails sent to the Knight asking for advice, she has to pick up shifts at Bagelopolis, she has to, she has to, she has to.
But as the semester drags on, it becomes clear Andie can't handle everything. Will Connor finally prove himself a worthy boyfriend and help assuage her insecurities? Or will Andie's new friends at Blue Ridge be the ones to show Andie her worth?
Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. As the jacket says, this is such a clear example of a Just Kiss Already! romance, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for it from page 1. I love books in the new adult category, perhaps because I'm in college myself, and this book captured the essence of being in a new place without your family and safety nets for the first time. The cast of characters Lord created really sets this book apart from others--Shay, Milo, and Valeria are amazing friends, and Milo's entire family of a million siblings was a great running gag. Even Lord's imagery of Blue Ridge State was beautiful, and it made me want to visit the arboretum and walk the grounds, or go down the street to Bagelopolis for some Eternal Darkness.
Overall
This is a classic, new-adult rom-com. Lord hits all the tropes, mades the reader feel all the emotions, and, as I prefer, has an actual substantial storyline alongside the romance that makes you think about the plot and characters for days after you finish the book.
My rating: 5/5
Goodreads Average: 4.17/5
Information
Begin Again by Emma Lord (Wednesday Books)
Publication Date: January 24, 2023
ISBN: 9781250783363
Hardcover: $18.99