Romance
![Rachael Lippincott - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B07L85YF46.jpg)
![Alyson Derrick - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B09QQR8S7Q.jpg)
She Gets the Girl
She's All That meets What If It's Us in this swoon-worthy hate-to-love YA romantic comedy from #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Five Feet Apart Rachael Lippincott and debut writer Alyson Derrick.
Alex Blackwood is a little bit headstrong, with a dash of chaos and a whole lot of flirt. She knows how to get the girl. Keeping her on the other hand…not so much. Molly Parker has everything in her life totally in control, except for her complete awkwardness with just about anyone besides her mom. She knows she's in love with the impossibly cool Cora Myers. She just…hasn't actually talked to her yet.
Alex and Molly don't belong on the same planet, let alone the same college campus. But when Alex, fresh off a bad (but hopefully not permanent) breakup, discovers Molly's hidden crush as their paths cross the night before classes start, they realize they might have a common interest after all. Because maybe if Alex volunteers to help Molly learn how to get her dream girl to fall for her, she can prove to her ex that she's not a selfish flirt. That she's ready for an actual commitment. And while Alex is the last person Molly would ever think she could trust, she can't deny Alex knows what she's doing with girls, unlike her.
As the two embark on their five-step plans to get their girls to fall for them, though, they both begin to wonder if maybe they're the ones falling…for each other.
Alex Blackwood is a little bit headstrong, with a dash of chaos and a whole lot of flirt. She knows how to get the girl. Keeping her on the other hand…not so much. Molly Parker has everything in her life totally in control, except for her complete awkwardness with just about anyone besides her mom. She knows she's in love with the impossibly cool Cora Myers. She just…hasn't actually talked to her yet.
Alex and Molly don't belong on the same planet, let alone the same college campus. But when Alex, fresh off a bad (but hopefully not permanent) breakup, discovers Molly's hidden crush as their paths cross the night before classes start, they realize they might have a common interest after all. Because maybe if Alex volunteers to help Molly learn how to get her dream girl to fall for her, she can prove to her ex that she's not a selfish flirt. That she's ready for an actual commitment. And while Alex is the last person Molly would ever think she could trust, she can't deny Alex knows what she's doing with girls, unlike her.
As the two embark on their five-step plans to get their girls to fall for them, though, they both begin to wonder if maybe they're the ones falling…for each other.
Editorial Reviews
"Sweet, honest, and filled with personality." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Using lightly funny alternating narration, Lippincott (Five Feet Apart) and debut author Derrick, spouses, infuse the opposites-attract trope with some real suspense via a rom-com starring two seemingly dissimilar characters seeking the same things...the authors build a friendship that feels real while letting readers wonder if the two characters will see what else is possible." -- Publishers Weekly
"This sapphic rom-com is delightfully cheesy, fun, and extremely sweet. It also has its serious moments, meaningfully tackling tough topics such as cultural identity and the alcohol abuse of a parent...LGBTQIA+ readers seeking to see themselves represented in fan-favorite rom-com tropes will still very much appreciate this one." -- School Library Journal
"Lippincott and Derrick...give the sweet, cotton-candy plot some narrative substance with attention to the two girls' respective struggles with their mothers, bringing complexity to the story without weighing it down. The joyful ending places Alex and Molly's romance front and center, complete with Molly running after Alex in formalwear to declare her love. It's a warm, unaffected take on familiar tropes that will charm romance fans and perhaps entice a few skeptics to give the genre a try." -- BCCB
"Using lightly funny alternating narration, Lippincott (Five Feet Apart) and debut author Derrick, spouses, infuse the opposites-attract trope with some real suspense via a rom-com starring two seemingly dissimilar characters seeking the same things...the authors build a friendship that feels real while letting readers wonder if the two characters will see what else is possible." -- Publishers Weekly
"This sapphic rom-com is delightfully cheesy, fun, and extremely sweet. It also has its serious moments, meaningfully tackling tough topics such as cultural identity and the alcohol abuse of a parent...LGBTQIA+ readers seeking to see themselves represented in fan-favorite rom-com tropes will still very much appreciate this one." -- School Library Journal
"Lippincott and Derrick...give the sweet, cotton-candy plot some narrative substance with attention to the two girls' respective struggles with their mothers, bringing complexity to the story without weighing it down. The joyful ending places Alex and Molly's romance front and center, complete with Molly running after Alex in formalwear to declare her love. It's a warm, unaffected take on familiar tropes that will charm romance fans and perhaps entice a few skeptics to give the genre a try." -- BCCB
Readers Top Reviews
KylieKylie
This was one of my top books in March. It is perfection. I absolutely adored both Alex and Molly. They were both so different yet so complimentary of each other. Also who doesn't love an enemy to lover troupe?! My favorite! If I didn't love this book enough, it is set in Pittsburgh! It was awesome to read about places I have been and seen. Molly and Alex both attend the University of Pittsburgh so hearing all about their classes and adventures felt like home to me. This is a must read for all romance fans. It is one that I plan to buy and having on my personal shelf as well.
Energy RaeKylieKy
Alex’s relationship is falling apart. So when she heads to college, she wants nothing more than to prove to her girlfriend, Valerie, that she can be faithful. She wants to prove she can make friends and have platonic relationships. Enter Molly. Molly is painfully shy and not at all assertive. If Alex can help Molly get the girl of her dreams, she can prove to her girlfriend that she’s capable of helping others, capable of making friends. If I had any criticism, while our main characters, Alex and Molly, evolved, Valerie turned out to be the complete opposite, which threw me for a loop. I’m not sure if that was a stylistic choice to match Alex’s evolution or not. I didn’t really care for Molly’s endless judging. But Alex perfectly counterbalanced her with her fount of positivity, and in that, they make the perfect team. I liked the alternating perspectives and the way the girls clicked. This was an adorable, upper YA read. Thank you, Simon and Schuster Children’s, for sending this along!
ElisquaredEnergy
I was very excited to get the chance to read a new book from Rachael Lippincott. I love her books, and this one, which she co-authored with her wife, Alyson Derrick, sounded right up my alley. Hitting some of my favorite romance tropes, She Gets the Girl is an adorable sapphic romance, set at the beginning of college: a place where people can find their true selves, and perhaps their true loves. Molly and Alex were great characters, and really complimented each other. They both have girl problems: Molly has a hopeless crush on a former classmate and Alex was hit with a rough break-up. Alex, finding out about Molly's crush, devises a plan to help her win the girl and to prove to Alex's ex that Alex can be genuine friends with someone. And this is the start of it all. Like I said, Molly and Alex compliment each other, but that's not obvious at first because there is major friction between the two. Hot-headed Alex and painfully-shy Molly clash, but through Alex's plan, they learn more and more about each other. As the girls learn about each other, they also learn about themselves. While this is sapphic romance, it is not a coming out story. That was a big draw while I was reading. Both Molly and Alex are out to friends and family alike, so the reader really gets to dive into the development of the relationships, both romantic and friendly. The setting of freshman year of college is also a great time because it is an often pivotal moment in transition from a teenager to adult. This aspect of the book was so impactful, as the reader got to experience both Molly and Alex develop into different, and in some ways better, versions of their old selves. Then the relationship development was sweet to read as well. So the more intense personal growth and more light-hearted (but just as important) romantic growth created a nice harmony. The writing was funny with poignant aspects. Each character's voice was distinct, and I enjoyed the changing point of view. I don't think that the story would be as round as it is if the reader only heard from one of the characters. This book moved fast, even if the romance was a slow burn (I do love a good slow burn). I was engaged throughout, and felt the ending was perfect, even though I could've always had more. My only note with the writing was the pop culture references used could date the book in the future and not make as much of an impact. But that really doesn't detract from the story for me personally. She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick is a must-add to your YA contemporary romance pile. Sweet, funny, and emotional, this romcom will hit all the best parts of a feel-good story. I would 100% read anything these two come up with next! CW: alcoholism, parental neglect and abandonment, internalized racism, toxic relationship
ElisquaredEner
A great sapphic rom-com style story, I truly loved reading this book from start to finish!
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter 1: Alex
CHAPTER 1 ALEX
Every single person in this room is looking at Natalie Ramirez.
The hipster dude clutching an IPA like it's his firstborn son. The girl wearing a faded Nirvana shirt that screams Urban Outfitters. Brendan, the bartender, too distracted to realize he's made not one but two rumless rum and Cokes. All of them have their eyes glued to the stage.
I finish wiping up a few water rings clinging to the counter and throw my white bar towel over my shoulder, craning my neck around the sea of people to get a better view.
The stage lights cast an odd purplish hue over everything. Her face is outlined in shades of lilac and violet, and her long black hair shines a deep burgundy. I watch as her hands move up and down the neck of the guitar without so much as a second glance, every fret memorized, the feel of the strings ingrained in her fingertips.
Because while all eyes are on her, Natalie Ramirez is only looking at me.
She gives me a small, secret smile. The same one that gave me butterflies five whole months ago, when her band first performed at Tilted Rabbit.
It was the best performance I've seen in the three years I've worked here. Being a small local venue, we've had our fair share of Alanis Morissette wannabes and weekend warrior cover bands. There was a guy just last week who tried to go full Neutral Milk Hotel and play a saw for an hour straight, the sound so screeching that everyone except my coworkers and his girlfriend left the building.
To be honest, between the iffy music, the weird hours, and the less-than-ideal pay, the turnover rate here is pretty high. I'd have quit ages ago, but… my mom needs money for rent. Plus, I do too, now that I'm leaving for college.
And I guess it's all right. Because if I had quit, I wouldn't have been there that night five months ago, and I wouldn't be here right now, catching Natalie Ramirez's gaze from behind the bar.
My stomach sinks as I realize this is the last time I'll hear her play for a while, and even though I try to push that feeling away, it lingers. It sticks around through saying a final farewell to the ragtag crew of coworkers that let me study at the bar on school nights, through waiting for Natalie to get done with her celebratory drinks backstage before her band goes on their first-ever tour next week, and through the two of us veering off to spend my last night here at home exactly how I want to spend it.
With her.
We're barely through the door of her cramped Manayunk apartment before she's kissing me, her lips tasting like the cheese pizza and warm beer she has after every show.
It's a blur of kicked-off Converse shoes and hands sliding up my waist as she pulls off my black T-shirt, the two of us stumbling across the space she escaped to after graduating last year from Central High, the public school just across the city from mine.
This place has pretty much been my escape all summer too, so I lead us effortlessly across the worn wooden floor into her room, dodging her bandmates' instruments and sheet music and scattered shoes. Her bedsprings squeak as we tumble back onto her messy sheets, the door clicking shut behind us.
The moment is so alive, so perfect, but that feeling I had earlier still sits heavy on my chest. It's impossible to not think about the bus that will whisk me away to college in the morning. The prickling nervousness I feel over leaving the place where I've lived my whole life. My mom, on the other side of the city, probably half a handle of tequila deep after spending the afternoon guilting me over "leaving her" just like Dad left us.
But, most importantly, I want to finally have the conversation I've been avoiding. The conversation about how I want to make this work long distance.
I zero in on the feeling of Natalie's skin under my fingertips, her body pressed up against mine, working up the courage to pull away, to say something, when I feel her soft whisper against my lips.
"I love you."
I pull her closer, so wrapped up in her that I hardly register what she just said. So wrapped up in what I'm struggling to say that I almost say it back.
More than almost. My mouth forms around the words. "I lo-"
Wait.
My eyes fly open and my heart hammers in my chest as I jerk away, those three words bringing with them a flood of moments much different from this one.
Thrown plates and screaming. My dad stooping down to say "I love you" befo...
CHAPTER 1 ALEX
Every single person in this room is looking at Natalie Ramirez.
The hipster dude clutching an IPA like it's his firstborn son. The girl wearing a faded Nirvana shirt that screams Urban Outfitters. Brendan, the bartender, too distracted to realize he's made not one but two rumless rum and Cokes. All of them have their eyes glued to the stage.
I finish wiping up a few water rings clinging to the counter and throw my white bar towel over my shoulder, craning my neck around the sea of people to get a better view.
The stage lights cast an odd purplish hue over everything. Her face is outlined in shades of lilac and violet, and her long black hair shines a deep burgundy. I watch as her hands move up and down the neck of the guitar without so much as a second glance, every fret memorized, the feel of the strings ingrained in her fingertips.
Because while all eyes are on her, Natalie Ramirez is only looking at me.
She gives me a small, secret smile. The same one that gave me butterflies five whole months ago, when her band first performed at Tilted Rabbit.
It was the best performance I've seen in the three years I've worked here. Being a small local venue, we've had our fair share of Alanis Morissette wannabes and weekend warrior cover bands. There was a guy just last week who tried to go full Neutral Milk Hotel and play a saw for an hour straight, the sound so screeching that everyone except my coworkers and his girlfriend left the building.
To be honest, between the iffy music, the weird hours, and the less-than-ideal pay, the turnover rate here is pretty high. I'd have quit ages ago, but… my mom needs money for rent. Plus, I do too, now that I'm leaving for college.
And I guess it's all right. Because if I had quit, I wouldn't have been there that night five months ago, and I wouldn't be here right now, catching Natalie Ramirez's gaze from behind the bar.
My stomach sinks as I realize this is the last time I'll hear her play for a while, and even though I try to push that feeling away, it lingers. It sticks around through saying a final farewell to the ragtag crew of coworkers that let me study at the bar on school nights, through waiting for Natalie to get done with her celebratory drinks backstage before her band goes on their first-ever tour next week, and through the two of us veering off to spend my last night here at home exactly how I want to spend it.
With her.
We're barely through the door of her cramped Manayunk apartment before she's kissing me, her lips tasting like the cheese pizza and warm beer she has after every show.
It's a blur of kicked-off Converse shoes and hands sliding up my waist as she pulls off my black T-shirt, the two of us stumbling across the space she escaped to after graduating last year from Central High, the public school just across the city from mine.
This place has pretty much been my escape all summer too, so I lead us effortlessly across the worn wooden floor into her room, dodging her bandmates' instruments and sheet music and scattered shoes. Her bedsprings squeak as we tumble back onto her messy sheets, the door clicking shut behind us.
The moment is so alive, so perfect, but that feeling I had earlier still sits heavy on my chest. It's impossible to not think about the bus that will whisk me away to college in the morning. The prickling nervousness I feel over leaving the place where I've lived my whole life. My mom, on the other side of the city, probably half a handle of tequila deep after spending the afternoon guilting me over "leaving her" just like Dad left us.
But, most importantly, I want to finally have the conversation I've been avoiding. The conversation about how I want to make this work long distance.
I zero in on the feeling of Natalie's skin under my fingertips, her body pressed up against mine, working up the courage to pull away, to say something, when I feel her soft whisper against my lips.
"I love you."
I pull her closer, so wrapped up in her that I hardly register what she just said. So wrapped up in what I'm struggling to say that I almost say it back.
More than almost. My mouth forms around the words. "I lo-"
Wait.
My eyes fly open and my heart hammers in my chest as I jerk away, those three words bringing with them a flood of moments much different from this one.
Thrown plates and screaming. My dad stooping down to say "I love you" befo...
