I don’t really like YA contemporary much and I’m super picky about romance in general, but this was adorable. Mary, our MC, always has her nose stuck in a book (relatable) and she is fixated on 19th C classics (super relatable). When she seems to be entering a romance of her own, she attempts to steer the course with help from her beloved 19th C novels with disastrous and hilarious results. Honestly, this is more for those wanting a YA rom-com and what made it work for me was the love the author has for the subject matter ie 19th C novels. But as someone who has an enduring love for the classics, this was perfect.

Thank you for the ARC but I DNF this one. I read about 50-80 pages and just couldn’t get into it. I’m not sure the writing style was for me

Adorable! Love, love, love Amanda Sellet's By the Book! This is a perfect YA literary rom-com that hits all the right notes. As a middle school librarian, I will definitely be adding this to my collection. Although main character Mary has sometimes old beyond her years vocabulary, she is well-versed in Brit lit classics, so that can be forgiven. I will recommend this to all my students looking for their next girl-meets-bad-boy but is he really? read. Super enjoyable! Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

What to read while wearing your Pride and Prejudice socks and sipping tea out of your Bronte sisters mug. Mary Porter Malcolm, who usually has her nose buried the the pages of a Victorian novel, is pushed from the tiny, cozy nest of a super-small private school and the comfort of her siblings into the OMG world of public high school. Relying on the tips she's picked up from classic literature, she makes some friends who take Mary under their wing and put together the quintessential experience list for a girl about to be sixteen. From shopping at the mall to going to a dance, they've got her covered, provided Mary doesn't type cast everyone as a character who lived centuries ago. There are laugh out loud moments, more literary references than a British Literature syllabus, and a female heroine you'll add to your list of favorites.

This was a light, fluffy read that, while I mostly enjoyed, just unfortunately fell a bit flat. Part of it was the voice and style; it was really hard to imagine Gen Z teenagers, even a bookish, sheltered one like Mary, saying some of the things they said in the book, and because of that it was hard for me to get into it. The plot sometimes meandered a little and some of the characters, including the love interest, felt underdeveloped.
All of that being said, I thought the book was overall very cute and engaging. Mary is a charming protagonist, even if I wanted to rip my hair out toward the end because of her indecision and passivity. Her family is eccentric and chaotic and delightful; the scenes with her parents, sisters, and Jasper (!!!) were my favorites. Her friend group, while sometimes not believable as teenagers, were sweet and really helped Mary to open up. I do wish that the author had used the friends to expand a bit on Mary's perceptions of friendship; I wasn't convinced by the end that Mary understood just how horribly she had been treated, by Anjuli in particular, and knew that she deserved better and should stand up for herself.
Overall, this was a nice way to spend a long flight, and I would definitely recommend it for fans of TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE and books like it.

All of the heart-eyed emojis!!! This was adorable and brought the perfect modern twist. I loved the characters and how easily their stories fit. I will be recommending that we purchase this one.

I read this book early thanks to #NetGalley.

I didn't put this book down! I loved everything about it. The characters are awesome and a great example of High School dynamics. I will recommend this book to High school readers as soon as we get it! The literary references are fantastic! Mary may feel like her name is "boring" but this book is anything but.

Mary was easy to relate to and realistically quirky. I wish there would have been a little more interaction between Mary and Alex, but overall I thought this was a nice read.

A solid 3 stars but I almost gave it 2. Then I remebered that, if I had been a few years younger, I would've enjoyed this story with more energy. If you're new to the young adult genre, this book is a great starter. There's no clear sexual material. The most the characters ever do is kiss. So, for a young adult romance, this is very tame. This is perfect for ages 13 to 15 but that's about it. While the main character is book smart, she is emotionally immature and she acts like a child. It was difficult for me to relate to a character with such a young, naiive personality,

While Mary is meant to be written as a modern day Elizabeth Bennet heroine, her actions are decidedly not Elizabeth-like. She's impulsive and acts more selfishly as the book progresses. I relate to some of her experiences, such as getting ditched by friends at school, and I felt for her in that moment. However, does she have to quote classic novels all the time? I quote novels but I don't do it all the time. When I say Mary quotes books constantly, I mean I couldn't find a single line of dialogue where she expresses her own thoughts. This makes Mary's character out to be the opposite of unique, a character with nothing new to offer. Her personality is entirely borrowed from other people and fictional characters. She had such promise, it's a real shame.

My main issue with the plot is the love story between Alex and Mary. Alex Ritter is barely in the book. Sometimes his name comes up, but only for Mary and her friends to insult him. He appears at the beginning of the story, then in the last 20 pages. I honestly forgot about him. The romance felt forced or at least rushed. If Alex was featured more in the book, I would have liked him. But as is, Alex doesn't spend enough time with the reader. The premise of this book is exciting and lovely, but the plot is one dimensional, perhaps fitting for a beach read.