★★★★☆ 4.1 / 5 (calculated from Amazon, Goodreads & romance.io reader ratings — 81,341 combined)
| Overall | 8.2 | Romance | 8.3 |
| Characters | 8.7 | Writing | 8.3 |
| Emotion | 8.0 | Heat | 2.0 |
| Ending | 7.5 | Re-read value | 8.0 |
A chaotic flirt and an anxious overthinker team up on a five-step plan to win over other girls — and, of course, fall for each other instead.
If you love hate-to-love YA, opposites-attract banter, and a sweet campus romance with genuine emotional weight, She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick belongs on your list. Written by a real-life married couple, it became a New York Times bestseller and a Goodreads Choice Award nominee.
Our take: a warm, funny, low-heat sapphic rom-com carried by two exceptionally well-drawn heroines and dual first-person voices you can tell apart blindfolded — with more emotional depth (alcoholic parents, class anxiety, cultural identity) than its cotton-candy premise suggests.
The Evidence Scorecard
Every score below is backed by what readers and reviewers actually reported across Amazon, Goodreads and romance.io — not vibes. Here is the case for each rating.
Writing & Voice ★★★★☆
Evidence
- ✓ Kirkus calls it “sweet, honest, and filled with personality”; Publishers Weekly praises the “lightly funny alternating narration”
- ✓ Written in everyday, accessible language — reviewers repeatedly note it reads fast and easy
- ✓ A rare co-authored novel where the seams never show; the married co-writers deliver one seamless voice per narrator
- ✓ School Library Journal highlights how it balances rom-com fun with genuine seriousness
Dual POV & Character Voice ★★★★★
Evidence
- ✓ The single most praised element: readers say they can tell Alex and Molly apart “before even reading the name at the chapter”
- ✓ Alex reads as sarcastic, chaotic and guarded; Molly as anxious, controlled and painfully earnest
- ✓ One reviewer: “each dealing with their own issues… both of their perspectives are excellently written”
- ✓ The distinct inner voices make the alternating structure a strength rather than a gimmick
Chemistry & Romance ★★★★☆
Evidence
- ✓ Classic opposites-attract / hate-to-love build that readers found “humorous and heartbreaking”
- ✓ The five-step-plan premise gives the leads a natural reason to grow close before they admit anything
- ✓ Banter praised as “always amusing,” with deeper conversations that “felt so natural”
- ✓ A minority (mostly older YA readers) did not fully connect with the romance or the premise
Heat ★½☆☆☆
Evidence
- ✓ Rated Steam 1/5 on romance.io — “glimpses and kisses,” essentially closed-door
- ✓ Age-appropriate YA content (marketed 15+, grades 9–12); sweet rather than explicit
- ✓ The emotional intimacy, not physical heat, is where the book invests
- ✓ Ideal for readers who want a low-spice, wholesome sapphic romance
Emotion & Depth ★★★★☆
Evidence
- ✓ Tackles an alcoholic parent, class anxiety and cultural identity — “meaningfully,” per School Library Journal
- ✓ A standout scene on class: Alex cannot simply “do what she loves” because she must earn a living and support her mother
- ✓ Readers describe feeling “seen as a fellow queer woman” and relating to both leads
- ✓ BCCB notes the substance is added “without weighing it down”
Pacing ★★★★☆
Evidence
- ✓ Widely described as a “quick read” finished “in one sitting”
- ✓ One reviewer: “never found myself bored or losing interest… an excellent read all the way through”
- ✓ The plot is admittedly predictable, but the characters keep the pages turning
- ✓ A few readers found it hard to get into early on before it clicked
Ending ★★★★☆
Evidence
- ✓ A “joyful ending” (BCCB) with Molly running after Alex in formalwear to declare her love
- ✓ Delivers a satisfying HEA that most readers found earned and swoony
- ✓ Recurring wish across reviews: “could’ve used an epilogue” — readers wanted a little more time with the couple
- ✓ One reader noted the story “never gives… any meat” at the very end despite a strong build
Re-read & Comfort Value ★★★★☆
Evidence
- ✓ Repeatedly called a “cute pick-me-up” readers would happily revisit
- ✓ Frequently recommended as a gateway sapphic YA — several “first sapphic book” reviews
- ✓ Strong comp appeal for fans of She Drives Me Crazy and Some Girls Do
- ✓ Companion novella (Joy to the Girls) gives returning fans more of Alex and Molly
Quick Facts
| Title | She Gets the Girl |
| Authors | Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick |
| Series | Standalone (companion novella: Joy to the Girls) |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster BFYR — 5 April 2022 |
| Length | 416 pages |
| Genre | YA contemporary sapphic rom-com |
| Tropes | Hate-to-love, opposites attract, friends to lovers, forced proximity, matchmaking gone sideways |
| Heat level | Sweet / closed-door (1/5) |
| POV | Dual, first person (Alex & Molly) |
| Ending | HEA (joyful; some wished for an epilogue) |
| Recognition | NYT bestseller; Goodreads Choice Award nominee |
You'll Love This If…
- ✓ You want a sweet, low-heat YA sapphic rom-com with real heart
- ✓ Hate-to-love and opposites-attract are your comfort tropes
- ✓ You adore dual POV where each narrator has a truly distinct voice
- ✓ You want a fun premise that still handles hard topics with care
- ✓ You loved She Drives Me Crazy, Some Girls Do, or Crush (Hulu)
Avoid If…
- You want explicit, open-door heat (this is closed-door YA)
- Predictable rom-com beats frustrate you
- You need a long, epilogue-rich wind-down after the climax
- You have aged out of college-freshman YA drama and want adult leads
- Insta-crush premises (pining over a near-stranger) are a dealbreaker
Book Synopsis
Alex Blackwood is a headstrong, chaotic flirt who knows exactly how to get the girl — keeping one is another story. Molly Parker has her whole life under control except for her crippling shyness and her hopeless, unspoken crush on the impossibly cool Cora Myers, whom she has never actually spoken to. The two could not be more different, and they collide the night before their first year of college begins.
Fresh off a breakup and desperate to prove to her ex that she is not a selfish flirt, Alex offers Molly a deal: she will coach Molly through a five-step plan to win Cora over. As the two chase their respective “dream girls,” they slowly, inevitably start to wonder whether the person they are really falling for is each other. It is a hate-to-love campus rom-com pitched as She's All That meets What If It's Us.
My Review
She Gets the Girl is the rare YA rom-com that earns its charm honestly. On paper it is pure formula — chaotic flirt, anxious wallflower, a matchmaking scheme destined to backfire — and yet it lands with real warmth because Lippincott and Derrick invest so heavily in who these two girls actually are.
The dual first-person narration is the book's engine. Alex and Molly are so distinct on the page that readers routinely say they can identify the narrator before the chapter heading tells them. Alex's sardonic self-protection and Molly's earnest overthinking generate genuine comedy, and the slow thaw from wary allies to something more feels natural rather than plotted.
What elevates it above cotton candy is the substance underneath. Alex's story quietly reckons with an alcoholic mother, the fear of repeating that pattern, and the very real pressure of paying her own way through school — a class-conscious thread you rarely see handled this well in YA. Molly's arc digs into cultural identity and the courage it takes to be seen. These threads add weight without ever souring the sweetness.
Is it predictable? Yes — most reviewers say so cheerfully, because the destination was never the point. The main knock is that the ending, while joyful, arrives a touch fast; a chorus of readers wished for an epilogue to linger in the happy. As a low-heat, big-hearted gateway sapphic romance, though, it is close to ideal.
Romance Profile
| Pairing | F/F — chaotic flirt (Alex) & anxious overthinker (Molly) |
| Dynamic | Hate-to-love, opposites attract, coach/mentee turned lovers |
| Central trope | Matchmaking scheme → falling for each other |
| Conflict | Self-protection, trust, and pining for the “wrong” girls |
| Heat | Sweet / closed-door (1/5) |
| Build | Slow-burn friendship-first over a single college semester |
Emotional Profile
- ✓ Feel-good and funny for most of its length
- ✓ Real ache around an alcoholic parent and financial insecurity
- ✓ Tender exploration of cultural identity and being truly seen
- ✓ A swoony, kick-your-feet HEA that readers loved
Content Warnings
- Parental alcoholism (a central thread of Alex's story)
- Slut-shaming
- Family conflict and emotional distance
- Financial stress / class anxiety
Book DNA
| Vibe | Sweet, funny, big-hearted YA campus rom-com |
| Setting | A college campus in Pennsylvania, first semester |
| Pace | Quick, bingeable; predictable but propulsive |
| Comps | She's All That, What If It's Us, She Drives Me Crazy, Some Girls Do |
| Best for | Readers who want low-heat, high-heart sapphic YA |
Similar Books You Might Enjoy
- She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen — fake-dating enemies-to-lovers sapphic YA with the same sweet-funny energy
- Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan — opposites-attract YA romance between a track star and an ex-beauty-queen
- Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake — if you want the same dynamic aged up and steamier
- Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo — for a more literary, historical sapphic coming-of-age
- Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli — warm, funny queer YA about figuring yourself out in college
For more like this, visit our best friends-to-lovers sapphic romances roundup.
About the Authors
Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick are a married writing duo based in Pennsylvania. Lippincott is the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Five Feet Apart and author of The Lucky List and Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh. Derrick made her debut with She Gets the Girl and is the author of Forget Me Not, longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Together they have also written the companion novella Joy to the Girls and Make My Wish Come True.
Read more Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick reviews →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is She Gets the Girl a standalone?
Yes. It is a complete standalone with its own HEA. There is a companion holiday novella, Joy to the Girls, that revisits the characters, but you do not need it to enjoy the main book.
How steamy is She Gets the Girl?
Very low heat — rated 1 out of 5 on romance.io (“glimpses and kisses”). It is a sweet, closed-door YA romance appropriate for readers 15 and up.
Does She Gets the Girl have a happy ending?
Yes, it ends with a joyful HEA. The main critique is that some readers wished for an epilogue, as the ending arrives a little quickly.
Who are the main characters?
Alex Blackwood, a confident, chaotic flirt, and Molly Parker, a shy, anxious overthinker. They are college freshmen with very different personalities.
What are the main tropes?
Hate-to-love, opposites attract, friends to lovers, forced proximity, and a matchmaking scheme that backfires into real feelings.
Is it a good first sapphic book for teens?
Absolutely — it is one of the most-recommended gateway sapphic YA titles, with many readers noting it was their first sapphic book and a positive, affirming one.
Does it deal with any serious topics?
Yes. It thoughtfully explores parental alcoholism, class and financial stress, and cultural identity, without losing its overall feel-good tone.
Who wrote She Gets the Girl?
Married couple Rachael Lippincott (coauthor of Five Feet Apart) and debut author Alyson Derrick, which is part of why the two narrators feel so distinct.
Final Verdict
She Gets the Girl is a sweet, funny, low-heat sapphic YA rom-com that punches above its cotton-candy premise thanks to two beautifully distinct heroines and real emotional stakes beneath the banter. It is predictable and could have used an epilogue, but it is also warm, affirming and hugely re-readable — one of the best gateway sapphic YA romances out there. 4.1 / 5.
Where to Buy
Buy She Gets the Girl on Amazon
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