NerdCrush by Alisha Emrich is a cute debut YA contemporary romance (3.5/5 stars)

(3.5 rounded up to a 4)

NerdCrush by Alisha Emrich is a cute debut YA contemporary romance. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at a little over six hours and is narrated by Zoleka Vundla.

Ramona is an awkward and introverted sixteen-year-old dealing with parents who do not understand her and her lifelong best friend moving out of state. Her main friend group is online or at conventions as she has a huge love for designing and creating cosplay–including her original character, Rel. Using a confidence boost from Rel, she strikes up an email conversation with her crush Caleb from her cosplay account. But then Caleb’s relationship with “Rel” grows while he’s building a friendship with Ramona, but she doesn’t know how she can tell him the truth.

This was a really cute debut ya romance! If you want an easy read, or a palate cleanser between deeper or more intense books, this is a great option to pick up. The narrator does a great job here embodying a teenager but not to an annoying level.

The pacing felt a little off to me, but I kind of expect that in a debut. Miscommunication is not my favorite trope, but it’s mostly well done here.

I’m really glad to see more black nerd romances lately! If you’re looking for a similar read that’s not YA, I highly recommend The Love Con by Seressia Glass, which also involves cosplay.

Tropes in this book include: secret identity, withholding information, miscommunication

I received a copy of this book to review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

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