*A million thanks to Fierce Reads for sending me this eARC! All opinions are my own.*

I've enjoyed everything that Marissa Meyer has written, so when I saw that she was venturing into contemporary romance I was STOKED! And rivals to lovers is my JAM. I've been super excited about this release and I'm so thrilled that I got a read an early copy. Though this book is fullllll of cheesiness and many-a-secondhand-embarrassment-omg-i-am-suffering-moments, it was actually SO MUCH FUN and I really enjoyed it.

I was a bit disheartened in the beginning. Prudence enters this book as an overachieving, holier than thou type, which brings her to clash with her laid-back and seemingly irresponsible lab partner, Quint. But actually, there's times when she's just straight-up unlikable. It definitely took me some time to warm up to her, but by the middle of the book she becomes much more tolerable and her overall arc was really satisfying. Quint, on the other hand, I liked immediately. He's goofy and kind and cheesy as all hell but it was so much fun to read about him! I don't think I've read a single POV romcom in a while, and while I would've loved to have his perspective, I thought he was just as enjoyable through Prudence's eyes only.

The original premise is a bit corny. The "magical karma powers" that Prudence somehow inherits play a fairly small role in the overall story and there's not much substance to it other than to drive home the message of second chances. However, the actual plot was really entertaining. The real story lies in Prudence's volunteer work at the animal center and how she grows as a person, both individually and in her relationship with Quint. I was a bit unsure how well I would actually like Prudence and Quint together since the beginning starts out so rough, but after the initial 30%, they're adorable and so much fun to read about. There are many laugh out loud moments and overall, the second half is just a frickin' joy. Really, really cute and fun!