[Review] My New Crush Gave to Me - Shani Petroff

Summary: Charlotte “Charlie” Donovan knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: Teo Ortiz. He’s the school’s star athlete, in the National Honor Society, invited to every party, contributes to the school paper (where Charlie is co-editor), and is about to be featured as “One to Watch” in a teen magazine—basically, he's exactly the type of guy Charlie’s meant to be with. The only problem—he barely knows she exists.

But Charlie is determined to be Teo's date to the Christmas ball. And she has a plan: To rig the paper’s Secret Santa so that she can win his heart with five perfect gifts. But to do that she needs help. Enter J.D. Ortiz–Teo’s cousin, and possibly the most annoying person on the planet. He’s easy going, laid back,unorganized, spontaneous, and makes a joke out of everything—the exact opposite of Charlie (and Teo). But he’s willing to provide insight into what Teo wants, so she’s stuck with him.

Yet, the more time Charlie spends with J.D., the more she starts to wonder: Does she really know what, or rather who, she wants for Christmas? (Pub Date: Oct 31, 2017)

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

A lighthearted and cute Young Adult romance just the way I needed. And so hard to put down I read this in one sitting. A 3.5.

It's kind of funny how a Christmas-themed novel is released on Halloween. But yes, the plot centers around a secret santa that control-freak Charlie uses to get the perfect date for a lovers' extravaganza a classmate is giving the day after Christmas. But to have the perfect gifts to her Mister Ten Teo Ortiz, she will have to make concessions and ally with his cousin J.D., who seems to know exactly how to drive her nuts. While Teo is the date she needs for the party, is he the one she wants?

Oh, how fun this was! I wasn't too fond of Charlie but it never got in the way of my enjoyment—it didn't help that I identified with her a lot... probably the reason we didn't hit it?—, but the book was precious. Surely, there wasn't much for me to call unforgettable, yet this didn't make any difference.

Just a few side characters were more round but they made up for the rest. I really loved Charlie's best friend Margot. I have repeated this ad nauseam, but it's always a win when a YA novel portrays good friends. I wish Charlie showed a little more appreciation, to be honest. So there was room for a big fight, and I'm glad it doesn't follow that unnecessary route. Phew.

It's also good to note how religion is present here without being the main topic—unless you consider Christmas as a religious event. It's very rare for a common novel to remember some teenagers do have religions they follow. And we've got two here, Christianism and Judaism. Kudos.

Details apart, the main plot was a lot of fun. I loved how the chemistry between Charlie and J.D. evolved without having to turn Teo into a jerk. That's hard but it's also my favorite sort of love triangle. Also, the many times Charlie tries to win Teo's attention really brought me back to those days. I can't accuse the book of not being real enough. Argh, lol.

I think it lacked the extra meat and that's why this isn't a full 4 or 5 stars. This was cute, quick but that's it. You'll love reading it, if it's your cup of tea. And yet, it didn't go beyond expectations. Also, Charlie could have been a little more charismatic or learned much from the whole experience.

Rating: 4 out of 5.