How to Speak Boy

by Tiana Smith

Quinn and Grayson have been fierce speech and debate rivals for years. They can't stand each other, either in competition or in real life.

But when their AP Government teacher returns their school assignments to the wrong cubbies, they begin exchanging anonymous notes without knowing who the other one is.

Despite their differences, the two come together through their letters and find themselves unknowingly falling for the competition. Before the state tournament, the two of them need to figure out what they want in life, or risk their own future happiness. After all, what’s the point of speech and debate if you can't say what's in your heart?

• ISBN10: 1250242215
• ISBN13: 9781250242211
• Publish Date: 1 February 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 2 December 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

After reading this book and Smith's debut, Match Me If You Can, I can state, with certainty that she writes my kind of books - super cute, filled with great characters, and adorable, swoony romance.

Quinn and Grayson seemed to always be in direct competition with each other, and when it came time to select the newest debate team captain, they were forced to share the role. It meant more time working together, and that meant lots of fun banter for me to read. I felt like Quinn saw Grayson as the enemy, but he didn't seem to feel the same way. Yes, he enjoyed winding Quinn up, but it felt more like flirting, if you ask me.

It wasn't just their banter that I loved, I adored both these characters, and though I learned some about them, as they interacted with each other, the real, deep revelations came via their anonymous letters to one another. The "You've Got Mail"-like plot line worked so well for me. I was enamored with the missives they wrote! They quickly became quite confessional in nature, and were sticky sweet to boot. I couldn't get enough of them!

Can we talk about Grayson? Grayson, Grayson, Grayson - what a great love interest! He was charming and witty, and I could feel the electricity between him and Quinn. I thought he was the perfect foil for someone like her, and they complimented each other so well. If I were a teen girl, I would have swooned from some of the things he said. But he wasn't all pretty talk. He was also a man of action, and that made me love him even more.

I was delighted by Quinn and Grayson separately, and I also loved them together, but there were many other things that kept me flipping the pages. One element, which is very important to me, is family, blood or found, and Smith gave me some wonderful examples in this book.

Quinn didn't have a ton of people in her life, but she had some high quality people. Her best friend Naomi was wonderful. These two young women were there to support one another, while still keeping it real. Quinn also had a fabulous mom. I loved the way Quinn was so invested in her mother's success, and how she worked hard to help her mother achieve her dream. Grayson was also pretty lucky. Yes, his parents had high expectations for him, but they were extremely loving and approachable, which I thought was important.

This book had a great rom-com feel, and I was left in a state of elation upon finishing it. Seriously, it was entertaining, engaging, and enjoyable from the very first page to the very last page.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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