Disclaimer: I received a ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted my review.
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A clean teen romance comedy about figuring out where you belong when all the constants in your life begin to change.
It’s the last year of highschool, and everything has changed . . .
After spending summer vacation in the Philippines with family, Lara returns to school eager to catch up with her close knit group of girlfriends. But within minutes of reuniting with her friends, she learns that not one, not two, but all three of them are now in relationships that blossomed over the summer. And to make matters worse, Lara’s long time frenemy, James, won’t stop bugging her in class and eventually forces her into tutoring him everyday after school.
Surviving high school was never easy to begin with, but with occupied friends, a hectic Filipino family, and her annoying childhood enemy pestering her more than ever, Lara tries to juggle everything, while trying to figure out her own place in the chaos.
ARC Review...
Anyone who loves the Childhood best friends to Enemies to Lovers trope would love this book. How to Be the Best Third Wheel has Wattpad story cheesy vibes but in a good way because it’s well written.
I found the Main Character, Lara, relatable with all the awkward third wheel issues she had. Especially with her complex feelings of being happy for her friends but also feeling left out and like she’s missing out.
Even when I was frustrated with her friends for being “too focused” on their new boyfriends instead of Lara, I know that’s a normal thing that happens. I still liked her friends personalities and dynamic together.
I loved the girls supporting girls moments when Lara’s friends were there for her in her times of need. Especially when one of her friends, Carol, had a bat and was ready to beat up anyone who hurt Lara. Everyone needs friends like that.
My favorite thing about James and Lara’s relationship is their witty banter. Their relationship has good pacing, there is flashback scenes to when Lara and James were childhood friends that helped make their relationship feel more developed and realistic.
What I liked most was that I was pleasantly surprised when Lara and James have a mature discussion about their future after graduating and how that would effect their relationship. Which I found unexpected but loved because it’s realistic and not the classic “perfect happily ever after” ending at the end of most YA high school romance stories.
Favorite How to Be the Best Third Wheel Quotes...
Loridee De Villa is the author of the Watty Award-winning How to Be the Best Third Wheel, her debut novel that has accumulated 1.6 million reads on Wattpad. She also wrote The Infinite Worlds of Ella Jane, which won the Shaw Rocket Fund Contest in 2020 and is being turned into a theatrical podcast by the film company Shaftesbury. When she’s not typing up a new chapter, Loridee spends her days drawing, sewing, and watching cartoons, all while balancing courses at the University of Toronto. Loridee currently resides in Ontario, Canada and is pursuing a career in health sciences.
Check out Villa’s Wattpad | Goodreads | Instagram
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So that was my simple ARC review of Villa’s novel, How to Be the Best Third Wheel, along with some of my favorite quotes. If you have read this book, what were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!
