OMG this is soo cute. I read this in less than 24 hours because I just fell in love with Clara and Teddy.

Clara is a professor at a university and Teddy was her best friend from camp when she was homeschooled. She’s surprised to learn that he was joining her at the school as a visiting professor because they hadn’t talked in ten years. Their thoughts always went back to each other, but the last time she saw him, he was dating her roommate from freshman year of college. She’s been told to apply for tenure, but she needs to bring in more money for the school. He helps her out, and as they work to put on this event, they share memories from the past.

I’m such a sucker for a second chance romance, and this one was amazing. The past and present chapters were perfect in this book. We get to see young Clara and Teddy meet, become friends, and secretly fall for each other. Then we get to see them as adults trying to navigate their history together and potentially their future together!!

I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a love story that stretches over the decades!

Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller is a second-chance, contemporary, academic romance.

Clara had always wanted to teach history since she was fourteen, and she hasn’t let anything stand in her way—not even the love of her life. It all paid off in the end because she is now an Assistant professor at a private liberal arts college fresh out of grad school.

However, she may have another chance at love when Theodore Harrison, her childhood love, is brought on as a visiting scholar for the fall semester.

Do the past lovers reunite? Read Given Our History to find out.

The story is told in dual timelines of past and present. I loved the visually descriptive style of writing as I could visualize every scene as if I were standing alongside the characters.

I resonated with how Clara and Teddy fell in love with each other. They were both nerds and introverts. Both of them are homeschooled, and they strike up a friendship in a camp they used to attend annually, which eventually turns into love. I loved their journey from friends to best friends to lovers.

But it is the falling out that I couldn’t resonate with. It is from there that I started losing interest in the story.

The events staged to initiate the rekindling of their romance felt forced to me. Further, it is hinted that Teddy had a difficult relationship with his father. I wish the story had delved deeper into his family’s dynamics.

To conclude, I could not like the novel as much as I wanted to because the second half wasn’t engaging enough for me. However, I loved the first half, and overall, it’s a decent love story.

I loved this book. The switch between past and present and seeing Clara and Teddy's life play out for us throughout time. It was cosy, warm, and relatable and I really do adore them both. I'd love to see a sequel to this, perhaps following them on the next part of the journey.