✨ I have received this copy for free and giving my review voluntarily ✨

The review has been posted on my Book Instagram at the_velarhys_archives.

Can We Just Be Happy Now tugs your heartstrings as you follow them through their journey, going through all the relationship dramas we went through with our first love: second-guessing, betrayal, and petty revenges. It had a highly relatable plot, and I appreciate the character development for both— despite it not being consistent.

The Dual POV and Dual Timeline were such a treat— giving us a glimpse of how both characters see the situation. It was almost done perfectly however, other sections weren't as clear and that it would turn off the readers. Fret not, all will be explained in the next chapters ahead.

This was such a rollercoaster read for me. As someone who has experienced the same relationship with Sophie and Cooper, I empathize with their feelings and reasons. I understand Sophie's insecurities all too well, and I understand the pain Cooper has gone through as he constantly reassures Sophie. The novel honestly took me back to my first love days. I think it would too for most readers.

The novel was only a 3⭐ rating for me as I find myself constantly exhausted by their repeated fights and the passive-aggressive behaviors from both characters. They both suffered from their miscommunications, often leading them to hurt each other more. I find it a toxic cycle that wasn't addressed as much in the novel.

Overall, if you're looking for a novel that deals with first love, friends to lovers, and first relationship dramas, I recommend this novel.

dnf’ed at 22%.

i am a big fan of friends to lovers and second chance romances but i could tell within the first few chapters that this book wasn’t going to be the one for me.

it made me uncomfortable that our mmc was 18/19 and interested in a freshly turned 16 year old??? i also don’t mind a then/now timeline. i actually normally really enjoy the build up to finding out what went wrong in the main characters relationship but this one was difficult to follow.

i might try to revisit this book down the road but only if i’ve read the first two and enjoyed them.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc.

Review posted on Goodreads on 2/11, will be posted on Amazon 2/14. This was a cute childhood friends to lovers/second chance romance book. I enjoyed the dual POVs. I think the author did a great job of writing the chemistry and tension between the two MCs. I do think the story itself was a little too YA for me. I just got very annoyed with the characters and their repetitive behaviors. It felt like they were having the same arguments over and over. But I think it was just showing what relationships can be like when you’re young. The characters were definitely flawed but they did learn a lot about how to navigate a relationship. Overall, there were some parts of this one that I enjoyed and others that I didn’t. I would still recommend it for someone looking for a very YA romance book who enjoys the tropes included.

✨ To all the girls who look back on their early 20s and cringe a little ✨

I’ve never read any of Tisa Matthews books before and I went in blind with this one …. I did not disappoint! The book dedication sold me so I knew I’d love the rest of this book 💕 I loved the complicated trope with the 2 characters going from childhood neighbours to best friends then to lovers to strangers then to lovers, so much history and chemistry 😍 the character development between the 2 main characters really flowed and was built up wonderfully, the dual timeline was the best in doing this. The way these characters were so relatable tugged on my heartstrings and reminded me of the ups and downs of being in love as a teenager. The miscommunication is strong but plays a massive part in Cooper and Sophie’s story so do no let that put you off!

Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions, published on 14th February 🥺💫

If you are a book babe that enjoys a friends to lovers/second chance romance then Can We Just Be Happy Now? is for you 💙 This book took me on the biggest emotional roller coaster ride! We all remember what it was like to be young and in love, right? Well let me just say this is the perfect representation of being young and in love 🥰

The story follows childhood best friends Sophie and Cooper who discover they share a connection that goes beyond friendship. It also has dual POV and timeline which I enjoyed! It was nice being able to follow the characters through their journey of growth, self-dicovery and riding out the highs and lows of young love.

As with any first love relationship, there is a lot of insecurity, pushing and pulling, jealousy and irrational decisions made throughout the book. It's emotional, heartbreaking, infuriating, and there will be a lot of 🤦🏽‍♀️ moments but I promise you will not want to put this down!

This is a reminder that falling in love is easy, it's staying in love that's hard work. Love requires trust, vulnerability, sacrifice, forgiveness, compromise and patience. It is choosing your partner time and time again even when shit gets tough!

Overall- If you’re a fan of friends to lovers and want to reminisce about the bittersweet feelings of being young and in love, this is the book you want to read next! The best part is it will be available on kindle unlimited on Valentine's Day 🌹

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for approving me to read this arc in exchange for my honest review 🫶🏽

Miscommunication is one of my least favorite tropes and this book was FULL of it, but how did it still get 4 stars you ask?? Because the miscommunication wasn't the real villain in Sophie and Cooper's love story.

This childhood neighbors to best friends to lovers to strangers to lovers story was one of the best that I've read with this complicated trope. There was so much back and forth between these two soulmates throughout the entire book, but time and time again, they prove that they are each other's person. They understand each other in ways that no one else ever will. From their thoughtful birthday and Secret Santa gifts to saving so many of their firsts for each other to the plethora of fun microtropes like gray sweatpants, teaching her how to drive, and "you're my problem. My solution. My entire fucking world.", I couldn't put this book down.

Again, that says a LOT because I do NOT like the miscommunication trope, but this reminds me that even in books, we can regret a lot of the choices and decisions we make in our late teens/early twenties. No matter what though, we end up right where we need to be.

Also I may never forgive Sophie's dad for being the real villain!!! (And neither will the flight attendant that asked me what I was reading about on my flight home, which prompted me to tell her the whole synopsis with commentary!!!)

Can we Just be happy now ? Is such a great College romance book. I had no expectations going into this book as I have not read any of Tisa Matthews other books. Honestly the title was what grabbed my attention at first. After reading the description and seeing the cover I was sold an hoped for this Arc. I was so surprised and in a good way by this book.

I absolutely loved the dual time line, It was very well written. I loved how both times lines meet up at the end. The 2 main characters were so well built up over the whole book and left me not being able to put the book down because I had to know what was happening. I definitely felt like I was growing up with the characters, which made all the emotions that much powerful and felt. This book made me laugh but it also made me sob on my couch at 11pm. You can't help but fall in love and route for Cooper and Sophie through the whole book.

I have not read Tisa Matthews other books, but I will definitely be checking them out after reading Can we just be happy now. I would 100% recommend this book to whoever likes romance books.

4 ⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

I absolutely enjoyed this book!!

This was a great representation of everything that young love is. The good, the bad and everything in between

4.25

Let me start this review by the cover because it’s so pretty and describes the book so well it deserves to be mentioned.
I’m usually not a big fan of friends/best friends to lovers and I tried to read a lot of them already, but I really enjoyed this one it was so well written I couldn’t stop reading!

If you’re looking for a friends/best friends to lovers different from the rest with a rollercoaster of emotions with I little bit of second chance this book is for you. I absolutely loved the way it has a dual pov and we have some chapters from the past and others from the present, it makes you feel you have all the details about their story. The characters are amazing their development was really good and I need to say this…I really want a Cooper in my life please and if you asked why, well easy he said “I’ll buy all the damn books you want.” and for me that’s enough.

Put a reminder, this book comes out February 14th, perfect if you don’t have any plans for Valentine’s Day!

Thank you so much to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

A 3.5-STAR REVIEW
first let me just this IS THERE A DEAN AND MACI BOOK BECOZ IF THERE IS I'M LITERALLY GOING TO RUN IDC THAT LETTER HAS CHANGED ME. MY DEFINITION OF LOVE HAS BEEN CHANGED BECAUSE OF THEM and second this was one long ass book, maybe it's just me that it has been such a while since i have actually read books, i have been in such a slump, but this totally motivates me to read more now, so HELL YEAH!!

i could relate to the 16-year-old sophie so much, her being nervous and anxious to step out of her comfort zone i felt her at the moment believing everything an elder teenage girl tells you because you really don't know anything, trying to be a people pleaser and especially a FAMILY validation, reading just to escape your miserable life that isn't that miserable but what about it. i like that her character genuinely went through different stages of life and actually regretting how she wanted to change her self and slowly gradually losing your self-worth and yeah it might work for someone but sometimes change isn't what you exactly need sometimes you just want to be in your own space blankie all the time. she made mistakes and she's learning a lot later but isn't that what being a teenager and maturing all about??!!

cooper i swear i haven't read a book where a man named cooper isn't the biggest sweetheart of all time. he had his good moments and he had his bad moments, but he was man enough to own it all, and that's what i like. you make mistakes, you learn from this. he was kind, gracious and hot with his words. im sorry but i really mean it lol

cooper and sophie are like the high school sweethearts everyone wants in their high school life fr!! i love the traditions they had and how they prioritized each other in small ways. it was so cute and honestly the both have a spicy mouthful on them lie fr im not even joking!!

i like the side characters all of them were so realistic in their own portrayal.

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

Can We Just Be Happy Now? By Tisa Matthews was a phenomenal and amazing story. The characters are great and endearing.
This was a fun read. I kept turning pages until the very end. It felt new and fresh, and I loved every minute.

Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This story really captures the difficulties of dating as a teen/young adult! I love the dual-timeline, I think it makes the story more interesting too read. Sophie and Cooper had me kicking my feet, wanting to throw my phone, and jumping for happiness.

Great read with amazing writing!

3.75 ⭐️ i really enjoyed this book! it was cute, spicy, and relatable. it almost reminded me a bit of magnolia parks and bjs relationship. the only thing i didn’t like was that i feel like the story was a bit too drawn out. great read!

THANK YOU NETGALLEY AND VICTORY EDITING FOR THIS ARC!!

Are we just pretending an 18, almost 19 year old isn’t suddenly attracted to a 16 year old? And what is it with the hot and cold? I literally can’t with their volatility.

First of all this cover is absolutely beautiful! This book is a roller coaster of emotions. I loved the character development in this book and I enjoyed reading it a lot.

I love best friends to lovers so I knew from the getgo that I was going to love this book which I did. COOPER AND SOPHIE ARE EVERYTHING! I do not really read a lot of books that have the right person wrong time trope which was in this book which was definitely interesting to read but omg I just love them together so much!

If you want a rollercoaster of emotions kinda book then ladies and gents you have found it. Seriously this second chance romance keeps you on your toes, right when you think things are going to get better? Ha guess again. I think it should be retitled to “can we just communicate now?” Cause holy fuck miscommunication makes me want to bash my head but she wrote it in the best way possible because I did not want to put it down! On top of miscommunication Sophie’s dad is a real piece of work. I wanted to reach inside my kindle and slap him upside the head.
SO if miscommunication doesn’t turn you off then you really need to give this a read! It has dual timeline as well as dual POV. Sometimes with dual timeline I feel like things get missed throughout the switching but I didn’t feel that at all.

3.5 stars

This was a great book. I found myself so frustrated at times with the choices Sophie and Cooper made but, I also enjoyed every step of their journey.

This book is well written, full of fun tropes (think, childhood best friends to lovers, first love, college romance) and it has dual POV which is super fun to read. I loved the insight to the different MCs.

I absolutely adored Cooper, in fact - I want my own. Sophie was immature but I loved watching the both of them grow throughout the book.

Overall, a fun read!

Him teaching her how to drive was my absolute favorite scene. I was giggling and kicking my feet. 🫢

I enjoyed the first 50% so so much , and then enjoyed it less and less as the book continued. I loved the flashbacks and seeing them in love so much but the back and forth between them was just too long for me personally. I would’ve definitely loved it more if it wouldn‘t have been the same over and over again.
Nevertheless this was a relatable story about two young people falling in love and trying to make it work while also growing up.

Sophies love for books was just so relatable and he‘s just so supportive .

“It's just a book,” I tell her, and the sliver of worry fades as if it’s a gift that automatically discredits the idea of romance. If only she knew Sophie, whose exact idea of romance is a book–not that I’m trying to romance her.“

“You’re the one who gets me the books.” “I’ll buy you all the damn books you want,” I



Rating: 4/5⭐️
Spice: 3/5🌶️

Tropes:
- Childhood (best) friends to lovers
- Dual POV
- two timelines
- Right person wrong time
- He teachers her how to drive 🥹
- She’s a bookworm

We have a story that captures the difficulties of dating while we are in our teenager era. It’s a first love with all the pushes and pulls that comes with it, self-sabotage, and crazy decisions. It’s a part of a series but I only realized it when the questions about side characters started to appear.

This book has a dual timeline of the main character relationship that was done amazingly well. It was a fantastic representation of first loves and all the challenges that come with them. It was a cute book with nicely developed characters.

Overall, it was a nice, fun read that I enjoyed. The writing was simple, and the chapters were small, however I felt like the miscommunications between our main characters made their relationship a bit toxic for my taste. I still recommend it to fans of friends-to-lovers trope with a dual timeline.

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.