Cait’s Review of “Unnecessary Drama” by Nina Kenwood

By: Cait Marie

Blurb

From the award-winning author of It Sounded Better in My Head comes a deliciously entertaining enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy about two high school nemeses who end up sharing a house together their first year of college

Eighteen-year-old Brooke is the kind of friend who not only remembers everyone’s birthdays, but also organizes the group present, pays for it, and politely chases others for their share. She’s the helper, the doer, the maker-of spreadsheets. She’s the responsible one who always follows the rules―and she plans to keep it that way during her first year of college.

Her student housing only has one “no unnecessary drama.” Which means no fights, tension, or romance between roommates. When one of them turns out to be Jesse, her high-school nemesis, Brooke is determined she can handle it. They’ll simply silently endure living together and stay out of each other’s way. But it turns out Jesse isn’t so easy to ignore.

With Unnecessary Drama, Nina Kenwood perfectly captures the experience of leaving home for the first time, dealing with the unexpected complications of life, and somehow finding exactly what you need.

Review

I loved this book so much. It was one I started randomly because I wanted a lighter romance audiobook, and it looked cute. I’m so glad I did!

Brooke was such a relatable character, and even though it’s been a minute since I graduated high school, it brought back a lot of those memories of starting college and branching out. Her mentality and family life were easy to connect to on a personal level, but even those who haven’t gone through the same things can still relate to growing up and figuring out your place in the world.

Jesse was great too. I really enjoyed watching them get to know each other again and grow closer. They balanced each other out so well.

It has the fake dating trope, which is one of my favorites, and it’s friends to enemies to lovers, aka the ultimate trope. The story moves at a great pace, and I loved the themes of friendship, family, second chances, and finding oneself. It’s a good blend of young adult and new adult with great tension. I definitely recommend it to those who like this genre.