Tweet Cute by Emma Lord [Blog Tour: Review]

Hello! Welcome to the next stop on the Tweet Cute blog tour hosted by Wednesday Books. I'm thrilled I get to share my thoughts on this book with you! Review snippet: "Emma Lord has delivered a deliciously sweet rom-com that's full of banter and the best kind of suspense." 🍧

Title: TWEET CUTE

Author: Emma Lord

Pub. Date: January 21st 2020

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Buy Link: Click here

Goodreads: Click here

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming — mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account. 

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese — that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life — on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate — people on the internet are shipping them?? — their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.

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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Reading Tweet Cute was like hearing an ice cream truck on a hot summer day. You didn't know you wanted something, and then suddenly it's all you can think about. (Grilled cheese food truck? Anyone?) This book was impossible to put down, and it was refreshing how snarky-sweet and unpredictable the story was. I'm thrilled Lord managed to keep me on my toes, and was pleasantly surprised with how everything played out.

Pepper's parents were mostly nonexistent. Her mom was too busy with work (until it and Pepper became synonymous), and her father lived in another state. His lack of interest in his daughter's life (like not asking about the Twitter war, or how she was feeling about it) was upsetting. She knew he knew something was wrong, but neither of them broached the subject. He was happy to stay in his corner of the world and let events unfold on their own. Divorced parents can still be present in their children's lives, even from a distance. Her mother was incredibly frustrating for the better part of the book, and I hated how she belittled Pepper's efforts. Not once did she consider what a massive time-suck her requests would be for her daughter (a senior in a very competitive private high school), or concern herself with Pepper's feelings about the whole shebang.

Jack's parents were slightly better, but that's only because his mom was awesome. She was attentive, caring, and totally there for her family. Grandma Belly was pretty fantastic, too. Unfortunately, his father made some pretty questionable decisions that had a lasting impact and came with repercussions. I really didn't like that certain revelations and underlying issues were left unaddressed and unresolved. I think knowing the how and why were helpful, but the adults in books need to be held accountable for their actions as well.

I definitely prefer character-driven books, and Tweet Cute has that in spades. I loved the two main characters, but I also enjoyed the interactions with their families (yes, the families I was just complaining about). Nothing was perfect -- not by a long shot -- but it was a realistic portrayal of love, flawed relationships, and imperfect people. We see them overcome the negatives in order to pursue the positives, and watch as they find new footing in the world. Note: I can dislike something and still think it was an accurate representation of how the world works. Additionally, the sibling relationships were very relatable, if somewhat underdeveloped. I would have enjoyed seeing more interactions between Pepper and Paige (her older sister), and Jack and Ethan (his twin brother).

Tweet Cute was probably longer than it needed to be (a little lengthy in the middle), but from start to finish I never wanted to stop turning the pages. I also wish the author hadn't waited until the last minute to spill everyone's beans, because I thought it added unnecessary tension to already complicated situations. However, this is one of those books you just know will eventually become a television show, Netflix series, or movie. Overall, I had very few quibbles (mostly just the stuff about their parents and the length of the book), and look forward to reading whatever this author writes next! Emma Lord has delivered a deliciously sweet rom-com that's full of banter and the best kind of suspense. (★★★★☆)

About the author: 

Emma Lord is a digital media editor and writer living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, grilled cheese, and a whole lot of love. Her sun sign is Hufflepuff, but she is a Gryffindor rising. TWEET CUTE is her debut novel. You can find her geeking out online at @dilemmalord on Twitter.

Early praise: 

"Tweet Cute delivers in every possible way: a perfect enemies-to-lovers romance, a whip-smart plotline, and endearingly real characters. I devoured it.” - Francesca Zappia, author of Eliza and Her Monsters

"Sweet and fun! An adorable debut that updates a classic romantic trope with a buzzy twist." - Jenn Bennett, author of Alex, Approximately and Serious Moonlight

“A witty rom-com reinvention for the Twitter age, Tweet Cute pairs delicious online rivalry with deeply relatable insights on family pressure and growing up. This fresh, funny read had us hitting ‘favorite’ from page one.” - Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of Always Never Yours and If I’m Being Honest