Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Grove Valley High #2

The Backup Girlfriend

Rate this book
Abigail Baker has messed up. She’s in her last couple of months of high school, and all anyone thinks of her is that she’s the mean girl of Grove Valley High School who doesn’t care about anything.

But she does.

She cares about the state of her relationship with her parents and how damaged it is, she cares that she can’t trust if her best friend is actually loyal to her or about to stab her in the back, she cares that her ex is crazy happy without her and she has to witness it every day, and she definitely cares when she’s told that, because of her behavior and complete lack of interest in school over the last few months, her grades have dropped to the point where she might not graduate.

She’s definitely messed up.

Step in Brett Sanderson, the smartest guy in school and the only person who’s capable of helping her pull her grades up enough to graduate.

Only Brett isn’t Abigail’s biggest fan and refuses to help her unless she sets him up on a date with her friend. That’s fine with Abigail, because he does nothing but annoy her—that is, until he starts to make her smile, until she starts to look forward to their tutoring sessions, until she starts to trust him with things she’s never told anyone before.

But she’s stupid to start liking him, because it isn’t her he likes.

And one thing she does know for sure?

She’s done being everyone’s backup.

232 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2020

Loading interface...
Loading interface...

About the author

Emma Doherty

7 books590 followers
Follow me on Instagram @emma.doherty.author

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
190 (26%)
4 stars
287 (39%)
3 stars
194 (26%)
2 stars
42 (5%)
1 star
8 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
Profile Image for ... Lost  Bookland... .
372 reviews49 followers
January 28, 2021
I signed for this ARC, I received the book and my first thought was: “What the hell was I thinking?” I thought about replying and explaining that I cannot read and review this one, since high school romances are not my cup of tea, no way. But the professional in me won, and I started reading the book. The best decision ever!!!!

As I turned the pages and got more involved in the plot, I wasn’t sure what to think, I was expecting many things, but definitely not this riveting exploration of physical appearance, status and family issues that hide behind academic achievement. Skills and opportunities overshadowed by the basic need to be loved and accepted as who you truly are, friends and family as the essential pillars of the social beings that we are.

Between exploring such relevant isuues, the author manages to interwave the sweet, love story of Abigail and Brett, two totally opposite characters who somehow seem right for each other. Different goals, different agendas, different paths…but they all lead to the same destination: love and acceptance. She- the gorgeous, popular, yet insecure and unaware of her worth. He- smart as a whip, ambitious, even cocky, yet worthless according to some wicked norms of the modern society. She wears her mask, and he wears his, but what will happen once the masks are removed?

Offering a well-differentiated cast of fully developed main and secondary characters, the great emphasis on the importance of friends and family and what it means to accept your true self, the author manages to create a high school romance story with thought- provoking as well as sweet moments that the readers will simply love.

It simply cannot be labelled as a story for one type of audience or another. It is a story that contains elements that will satisfy every reader, who loves interesting love stories.

Somewhere between the pages, in one moment when the teacher started to consider the ways students are perceived, the way they are educated, I realized that the book gave me piles of topics to think about. The parent in me started to doubt about the way the children are brought up, and the teenager in me starts to swoon over the love story, then I realized that I was more than glad to decide to read the story.

The theme seems quite common, classic high school setting, the inevitable characters- popular kids( cheerleaders and football players) and nerd on the other side, but the plot and the way this book is presented make it quite fabulous choice for every book reader. Definitely, a book that should be read by every romance book lovers.
Profile Image for  Linathebookaddict  .
1,448 reviews389 followers
November 1, 2020
This was such a cute, heartwarming book!!! If you are looking for an emotional, clean romance, this is for you.

Brett and Abigail. Oh these two. I enjoyed Abigail's character and how she grew throughout the book. I wasn't a fan of her behavior at the start and I totally get why Brett had a certain attitufe towards her but I actually loved she developed.
Brett was also a character I wanted to shake sometimes, but I enjoyed the banter, the drama and the ending.
This was my first book from this author but it won't be the last.
Profile Image for Michelle.
3,036 reviews33 followers
April 1, 2023
It’s not easy to turn around a disliked main female character into someone likable and redeemable. Abigail Baker created quite a few waves in The Stand-In Boyfriend and now she’s dealing with the aftermath. At risk of failing out of school, it’s time to get her act together. I appreciated how she was a fallen queen bee with harsh qualities, because underneath was someone insecure and full of self-loathing. Getting to know her personal life definitely sheds light on where all of this stems from and the need to feel wanted and to be in the prime spotlight. She is relatable and she really tries to do better. I also enjoyed the initial antagonism between Abigail with her reluctant tutor, Brett Sanderson. Not to mention there’s definite closure between Abigail and Chase, with multiple appearances by Livy and Sophie. Abigail’s character arc was well done, but I wasn’t quite sold on the relationship development between her and Brett. The friendship felt natural, but the romance seemed a bit more contrived, especially since Brett wasn’t featured enough to truly gain a more solid feel for him and to advocate a permanent place for him in Abigail’s life. While that part was underwhelming, I could appreciate his role, where he’s not her usual type that she’d give a second glance to, but in her efforts to be a better person, she’s drawing other better people towards her. Overall, I enjoyed the story and Abigail’s growth and hope there will be more Grove Valley High characters in the future.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
1,431 reviews113 followers
Read
January 11, 2021
DNF @ 17%. I wanted to like this, but I didn't. At all. I'm not forcing myself to read any more of it.
Profile Image for Madia M.
424 reviews12 followers
February 18, 2021
I love a mean girl redemption story and this delivered.

Overall a cute read.
Profile Image for Jen (jensdreamylittlereads).
861 reviews101 followers
October 15, 2020
This was a sweet easy YA read typical of its trope. The Backup Girlfriend is a endearing romance with the usual amount angst you would expect of high school drama.

Overall, this was a cute and sweet story with some heartwarming moments and relationships, with just the right amount of drama and angst. I was hoping for more romance and a great deal was missing but it was still a good read.
Profile Image for Anjie.
731 reviews44 followers
May 20, 2021
I still enjoyed this book even though I preferred The Stand In Boyfriend but I really like Abigail's redemption arc. This has more about her journey instead of romance. Which I was okay with but this shouldn't be advertised as romance (not sure if it does though). This book made me see Abigail and Chase differently. I can see where Chase messed up in his relationship. In the first book, he seemed like the perfect guy. And tbh I still love him but he did do Abigail kind of dirty. I understand that he was trying to see maybe it could work between them. What he should've done was stop dating her when he realized that how he felt for Livy wouldn't change and that he wasn't going to care for Abby the same way.

It was kind of sad. Really sad actually. I couldn't completely sympathize with her because idk why popularity and being well liked is so important for her. I understand her want to be loved by her parents, yes. And that was the saddest part of the book, her father. It took her a while to grow on me. When she found out about not graduating, she pretty much accepted her fate for a while because she was too embarrassed. I was like b*tch get up! Study and pass those tests! Then you won't be embarrassed lol but I I get it. Her relationship with Chase and the after effects of the breakup was so public, and she was so mean to everyone that they didn't care for her.

I loved her growth as a person and I love the people that she started surrounding herself around. When she broke up with her frenemy, it was perfect and maturely done. She knew she needed to be around people who lifts her up and are good people to show her the way.

I love seeing Chase and Livy in this book. I love their relationship and I love that jealousy isn't a thing coming between them. I love that Chase genuinely cared for Abby and everything that he did for her. I loved the maturity displayed by Livy when she offered to help and be a friend to Abby, not out of pity or because Chase forced her, but because she's a good person. And don't forget about Sophie. I LOVE her! She is the best friend I've read in YA books in a while. She supports Abby even after being bullied by her.

Great read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Yames Bond.
795 reviews10 followers
December 20, 2020
Spanish & English Opinion

5 🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭

ESP ::

Me encantó. Fue un excelente giro hacer la historia acerca de “la enemy” del libro 1.
Livy sigue siendo divina y me encanta. Es perfecta ora Chase y viceversa. Chase es un tipazo y me encanta ver cómo apoya totalmente a Abbie.

Y Abbie... wow. Mi favorita. Obviamente en el libro uno no, pero me encanta aprender de su vida y perspectiva. Su decisión consciente de crecer y ser una mejor persona y su relación con Brett.

Brett quien es cero el clásico galán de libro pero es el mejor para ella y su relación es preciosa. Leer este libro me puso feliz, me hizo reír y me enterneció por completo.

ENG ::

Wow! I loved so many things! First, what a master move to write the book about the “enemy” on book 1!
Livy is her usual charming self and I love her with Chase. Chase is definitely an amazing guy that helps Abbie and acknowledges when he messed up.

And Abbie... loved her! Obviously I didn’t like her in book one but I loved learning about her life, her feelings and how she chooses to grow up as a person and to be the best girl she can be. She struggles with her insecurities and the transformation was heartwarming.

And Brett! He’s perfecto for her! I loved how they challenged each other and how they chose each other after knowing one another in difficult times.

Loved the book!
Profile Image for Ga Books LoverX.
2,356 reviews22 followers
October 14, 2020
I adore YA romances, that sweet first love kind of innocent romance is just adorable. The Backup Girlfriend is a book that I can get behind- former mean girl Abigail and her reformation into someone better (if she can) to be able to graduate on time with her friends.

The overall romance aspect of the book was definitely there and I adored the relationship between Brett and Abigail. The only thing was that I felt as if their relationship was on the backburner of everything else going on in her life. There was so much going on that it felt a little buried and did not stand out against all of the craziness. I would have also liked a little more background on Brett as well, to know more about him!

All in all, this was a cute book, I just was hoping for more from the romance portion of it, but it was still a good read! I give it 3.5 outta 5 stars and did enjoy reading it!

PS: Thank you to Emma Doherty and Wildfire Marketing Solutions from allowing me an advanced copy of the book to read and review honestly.
Profile Image for 2OCC Reviews.
3,471 reviews247 followers
October 15, 2020
Young adult reads are one story that I enjoy reading. This is the first book I have read by this author and enjoy their writing style. This is the second book in the series, but can be read as a standalone. This was a slow burn story that had a lot of emotion throughout the story. This storyline really pulled me in and I felt like I couldn't put the story down.

Abigail is the main character in the story that had a lot of character growth throughout the story. I enjoyed how Abi realised the type of person that she has been in the past and the changes that she made in the story.

Brett is the smart guy that is hired to tutor Abi. He is the calming person Abigail needs in her life with everything else that is happening in her life. I really enjoyed him and would've liked to read more about him in the story.

This story really showed the emotions that teenagers go through while dealing with the inner workings of high school. This story was a great coming of age story that had an interesting storyline.
Profile Image for Irma *Irma The Book Whisperer*.
1,586 reviews128 followers
October 11, 2020
I can not belive how good this author writes. The Backup Girlfriend is gut wrenching, soul ripping, emotional masterpice.

The Backup Girlfriend focuses on Abigail. She comes from a ritch family, but everything is wrong behind closed doors. She's a leader, but isn't respected. She had a boyfriend, but not anymore. And she just couldn't let him go. She bathed in missery for weeks and therefore failed in school.

When she gets another chance, she almost gives up. But slowly and surely some of her real friends start giving her support, other girls and boys volunteer to help. Little by little she realises she's not alone, that she's got friends who are there to help no matter what. And she wants to be a different person, she needs to be a better person, she craves it now.

And somewhere along the way she finds love...

I'm blown away!

Profile Image for Kari Hansen.
10.1k reviews84 followers
October 15, 2020
Abigail has always enjoyed a position of power at school but how the mighty have fallen. Her homelife is more of a battlefield than a resting place, despite all her attempts to the contrary her boyfriend has moved on with another girl and to add insult to injury she needs to pull up her grades and fast.

Brett may be the perfect choice for her tutor but he has seen the way she treats other people so why should he help her? With a little coercion and a side bet he agrees but he is about to learn that appearances can be deceiving, and she is about to learn who she can really count on when the chips are down.

I really enjoyed the evolution of Abigail’s character as the story progressed and Brett was exactly the person that she needed in her life to show her the way and support her through all the ups and downs.
Profile Image for Bookjunkie_Anne.
1,097 reviews
October 11, 2020
3.5⭐️

This was my first ARC and read from the author. I didn't know what to expect but I've read the blurb and got pulled in.

It's a high school romance–one of my fave tropes. This was more PG than I've anticipated. I know there was cussing and mention of $ëx but it was mostly clean. And don't get me wrong, in real life, it's ideal. I have a nephew and a niece who are teenagers and of course I want to protect them from anything these book characters went through, but this is a book. I was expecting at least some action, lol sorry. Like at least PG 18, not PG 14/15.

The story should've focused more on Brett and Abigail, equally. I felt like the other characters even overshadow the lead protagonist. It's probably just me, but this is my take. I hoped in the end there was more but even with the epilogue, it was still lacking or hanging and I was like, "What, that's it?"

I wish there was more. It was so promising...
Profile Image for Ashley Cestra.
1,095 reviews23 followers
November 1, 2020
I was pleasantly surprised with this story, it was much different from what I was expecting and I really enjoyed it. I’m not loving how the title was derived, all through the story it was boggling my mind, then the one line came up and I felt it was misplaced. However, I did enjoy the character set up, it was difficult to figure out who she was going to end up with and I very much liked the intrigue. This is my first time reading this author and it won’t be my last!
Profile Image for Laura.
241 reviews6 followers
March 19, 2024
where have I been???

Considering “four doors down” and “four years later” are my favourite books……. Where have a been in not reading this series!
Written in the same sexy but not filthy, filled with angst but not frustrating kinda way.
I absolutely adore Emma Doherty’s writing style. Her books take me back to being 20yrs younger.
Back to when falling in love felt like everything. To when you couldn’t imagine your next breath, without that guy who made you shiver, just by his nearness.
Abi and Brett’s story is just fabulous! ♥️
I’ve read then in back to front order, so currently reading book 1. Therefore, i think any order works. All fab characters and fab books, even though all characters are mentioned in all.

I must read for any die hard romantics like me ♥️❤️♥️❤️♥️❤️♥️❤️♥️❤️♥️❤️♥️❤️♥️❤️
Profile Image for Nicole Millan.
95 reviews
December 9, 2022
this book was lowk stupid but you feel like a weird sort of pride for abs towards the end?? like yay she graduated!! and i liked that even though her character is made out to be very like boy-centric, she still works on herself above everything else!! so yay
Profile Image for Júlia.
132 reviews10 followers
October 16, 2020
Blog Sol and Us
PT-BR/EN

Eu enxergo romance em tudo. É um fato. E eu não consegui, por nada no mundo, encontrar o romance em The Backup Girlfriend.

Para a Abigail, todas as pessoas são oh tão boas, mas não ela. Ah, não! Ela era a mais cruel. Até mesmo seu ex que estava apaixonado por outra pessoa durante todo o relacionamento deles era um cara tão bom.

Ah, qual é! Como assim?

E eu concordo que ela não seja uma boa pessoa. Acreditem, eu concordo. Ela precisava fazer algumas coisas para poder se formar e a única coisa que ela realmente fez foi estudar. Porque era a única coisa que ninguém poderia fazer por ela, não é? O resto? Outras pessoas fizeram por ela e ela levou o crédito por tudo.

A garota é tão nojenta que ela deixou a suposta amiga fazer todo o trabalho por ela na equipe de líderes de torcida e levou o crédito durante todos os anos do ensino médio. Abigail só reconheceu no último minuto, e não estou nem brincando, foi literalmente no último minuto.

Não dá. Me desculpa, não dá mesmo.

Vão em frente e leiam. Tirem suas próprias conclusões.

Sol and Us ▸ https://linktr.ee/solandus2

I see through romance colored glasses. That is a fact. And I could not, for the life of me, find romance in The Backup Girlfriend.

For Abigail, every single person was oh so kind, but not her. Oh, no! She was the meanest. Even her stupid ex that was in love with someone else for the entirety of their relationship was such a good guy.

Oh, come on! WTH?

And I agree she is not a good person. Believe me, I do. She had to do some things in order to graduate and the only thing she actually did was study. Because it was the only thing nobody else could do for her, right? The rest? Other people did every single thing for her and she got the credit for it all.

The girl is so disgusting she let a so-called friend do all her work on the cheerleaders team and got the credit during all their high school years. Abigail only acknowledged it at the last minute, and I'm not even kidding, it was literaly at the last minute.

I can't. I'm sorry, I just can't.

Go ahead and read it. Draw your own conclusions.

Sol and Us ▸ https://linktr.ee/solandus2
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Anna Reads Here.
878 reviews183 followers
October 17, 2020
Synopsis: Abigail Baker’s life is in shambles. She might be the most popular girl on campus, but she’s failing school and she’s unable to handle seeing her ex-boyfriend move on with someone else. To most, she’s just a mean girl, but Abigail is so much more and has more to offer. But how is she going to prove that to everyone else and herself? And mostly this guy she never imagined herself having feelings for?

Review: It’s been a really long time since I’ve read YA contemporary romance and one that I quite enjoyed. There’s a redemption ARC in this story which actually makes it more interesting than just being another popular girl falls for a nerd story. I really enjoyed the character growth and the incredible friendship in the story. However, the romance part of the story left a little to be desired. It’s all there in the periphery, but it takes a long time before it comes to the surface and by then you’ve gotten so involved in the platonic relationships, the romantic one doesn’t matter as much. But that was my only issue with the book, since the rest of it completely captivated me.

“People just have all these opinions about others, and it’s bullshit. No one needs to judge anyone else and decide what they are.”


So you’ve got Abigail Baker - captain of the cheerleading squad, popular girl on campus and also incredibly beautiful. She’s dealing with a lot right from the start - her ex is happily in love with someone else, she’s failing and if she doesn’t get her shit together she won’t graduate and she’s questioning her friendships. It’s a lot for a high school student to deal with, but also pretty normal. Her home life is complicated and messy and that’s really the part of the book that makes you feel bad for Abigail and where you start connecting with her more. Since this book is entirely from Abigail's perspective, you don’t really get to see how everyone else perceives her, which might have been more clear had I read the first book in the series. But this still works well as a standalone, since it covers a lot of bases.

Brett Sanderson is the smartest person at school and he’s been tutoring people and helping them get better over the years. You know that he’s Abigail’s love interest (because the blurb tells you so), but there’s just so much strife between them from the start, it takes a while for that to build up. While we see Brett through Abigail’s eyes, I feel like we don’t get to really understand him that much. Sure, we learn about his family and his life and everything, but I wish we got more of Brett’s PoV, it might have been interesting to see how he felt about Abigail too.

Abigail and Brett make a deal; if he tutors her and helps her graduate, she will set him up on a date with her friend Sasha and introduce him to her father. And the whole time, Abigail is fixing friendships, making new friends and just finding a way to make this new life work for herself. And like I said before, watching Abigail grow and become a better person was truly one of the best parts of this book.

But the love in this book isn’t what exists between Abigail and Brett, it’s the love of friends. It’s high school, so everyone falls in and out of friendships and cliques are formed and mean girls reform and others become meaner. There’s lots of backstabbing and snatching away crushes and doing stuff that you would certainly roll your eyes at. However, there are lots of positives. Watching Abigail and her ex work it all out and stay friends, seeing how she is welcomed into the arms of her ex’s new girlfriend and best friend and how she creates a bond with friends she’s already had. Those were the parts that really stuck with me.

Emma Doherty has definitely created an interesting group of characters, but there were a lot. At one point, there were names I was confusing and getting a little lost. I hope that by introducing all of these characters they get their own books and stories to tell, because that would be a cool way to carry this on. On one level, it’s your typical YA contemporary romance set in high school, but at the same time, it’s got more to offer than your standard YA romance. Like I said before, I wish there was more romance to offer than what we got.

Thanks to Emma Doherty & Wildfire Marketing Solutions for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Find more of my reviews on anna reads here
Profile Image for Maggie Robinson.
191 reviews16 followers
October 17, 2020
I went into this read expecting a fun, rompy, coming of age like YA read. I wound up with a book that delivered so much more.

This book reads at a high level YA. While the characters are in high school, they are dealing with some very real and very adult issues.

This book doesn’t include any bedroom scenes, but sex is discussed and brought up. Underage drinking is depicted.

The Backup Girlfriend is the second novel in Ms. Doherty’s Grove Hill High series. It can be read as a stand alone. Characters featured in the first novel do appear in the plot however all necessary back information is provided via character interaction and dialogue. This doesn’t come across as forced, and helps lead to some character growth within the story.

This is Abigail’s story. Chase Mitchell has dumped her for the final time in their on again/off again high school relationship. Abigail is beginning to flounder and the break up is only the beginning of her struggles.

Abigail has used her four years in high school clawing her way to the top of her cheer squad as well as the social hierarchy in school. She’s slowly beginning to realize that this has left her with a very small circle of friends regardless of her popularity.

Add in a mother who is trying to convince Abigail that she needs to focus on her appearance and winning Chase back due to his family’s wealth, a poisonous absentee father, and you have the recipe for depression. Ms. Doherty describes very well the lack of focus, drive, and connection that depression can cause in a person. Additionally Abigail has been so lost in her depression fog that she doesn’t know she is failing her classes to the point of possibly not being able to graduate.

The story carries the reader through Abigail growing, maturing, and finding herself in the short time left to her in high school.

It’s not an easy ride. She drinks to forget, she makes regrettable choices while drunk and allows a vicious friend to witness and film them. She dates the “perfect” on paper guy. She’s horribly betrayed by a close friend, and the tutor she needs has such a low opinion of her that it’s a fight to get him to agree to help.

The people that come to Abigail’s side are surprises to her. Her ex boyfriend, his girlfriend and his best friends. The girls she takes for granted on her cheer squad. And her tutor.

Abigail learns to stop living in the shell her parents want her to be in. She crawls out from under her father’s horrifying distain and disgust. She learns to trust that there are people who will see good in her and support her just because. And she finds a strong romantic bond with someone she never thought she would.

The story wraps up perfectly with Abigail coming into her own. Presenting herself to the reader as a centered and more balanced individual. She’s accepting and embracing her strengths, her interests, and her friends. She has a good foundation of what a friend should be, what a boyfriend should be, and what she is capable of.

Honestly, the only real negative I saw in this story is that Abigail is clearly struggling through a depressive period at the start of the story. There are hints that this slide may have been incremental over the course of high school based on off hand comments. While her coach and her guidance counselor fight for her to be able to bring up her grades in order to graduate...they don’t actually offer her additional support or suggest that she may be suffering from depression. They do clearly list all of the major symptoms of depression in a teen culminating with Abigail not realizing she is failing or that time seems to be in a foggy wrapped blanket. I would have liked to have seen just a bit of a therapeutic support for her. As a YA novel, I would like to see depression recognized and at least spoken about.

This one item aside, this novel was well written, strongly presented and displayed great character depth within the story arc.
Profile Image for Eliza Baum.
461 reviews32 followers
October 11, 2020
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review. Trigger warnings for descriptions of physical abuse (not on page) and dieting/unhealthy relationships with food.

I don't read a ton of YA contemporary, but the premise grabbed my attention enough that I decided to give it a go. What I did not realize until more than halfway through the book was that this was book 2 in a series. Oops. Guess I wasn't paying enough attention. If I'd known, I probably would have skipped it, but it was readable enough even without getting the context of the first book. In the back of the book, it mentions they can be read as standalones, and I agree with that to a point. I found myself confused and a little annoyed, during the first half, with the fact that Abigail kept referring to her bitchy, mean girl attitude and how she'd treated people. I thought it was a case of telling instead of showing—but turns out it's just a case of getting that out of book 1. I only say this as a reader beware if you decide to skip around. It was ultimately fine, but it took me awhile to get past it.

If you want a YA contemporary centering around a former mean girl figuring out what she wants for the last few months of her high school and working to get that, this is a book for you. I thought I was coming into it for a romance, but that was ultimately a much smaller part of the plot than I expected. In the first half, it was almost nonexistent. I enjoyed the way it played out when it was there, but it wasn't the focus until the last quarter of the book. The rest focused on Abigail's screwed up life, both in ways it was inherently sucky and the ways she'd made it sucky through her behavior. I don't love lingering in those days of high school (I'm far aged past it), so without the romance being a bigger focus, it wasn't really a story that interested me much. However, I did ultimately appreciate how the story went. I liked how Abigail's true friends rallied around her and the things she learned about herself.

There were a few things that I didn't love. The pacing of the first half was slow and erratic, and the way Abigail acted during that section also seemed inconsistent at times. I think the intention was to show just how messed up she'd gotten (emotionally speaking), but I had trouble buying some of her actions. There were a lot of characters—probably at least partially a result of this being a series—and I think that was part of what bogged down the first half. I was constantly getting people confused and wondering why I was supposed to care about this specific student, and I think it could have benefited from some character streamlining. There were far too many for most of them to be memorable.

3.5 stars rounded up, because I think that someone who's a bigger fan of YA contemporary would enjoy this even more.
Profile Image for Misty (Reds Romance Reviews).
3,150 reviews6 followers
October 13, 2020
From the outside looking in one would think that Abigail Baker lives quite the charmed life, but that really isn't the case at all. Her relationship with her parent's is strained, their constant fighting at home has drove a wedge between them and their children. The boy she loved left her for another girl, and now all of her friends are starting to slip away from her. Which in reality is probably because of the way she has treated them in the past. She is known as the mean girl at school, and she has used her monetary status to become popular and lord it over all the kids at school. But that is all about to change...

Now that she has had a little reality check of sorts she has come to realize that her attitude towards others needs to be fixed and that she can no longer be the girl she has been for the last few years. She needs to change, and she needs to focus on what is important in life... like her school work. If she plans on graduating she needs to turn her grades around and become a better student, and worry less about what is happening around her at school. But in order to do that she is going to need some help, in the way of a tutor. And she has the perfect one in mind... but convincing him to help her could be easier thought than done!

The Backup Girlfriend is a dramatical little page-turner that centers around young heroine Abigail and her tutor and part time nemesis Brett. Abigail created quite an ordeal for herself at school, and now it is all coming back to haunt her. While she was too busy ruling the school and moping over the loss of her boyfriend she neglected her schoolwork and now her school counselor and coach are telling her it's time to hit the books seriously. Which brings Brett into her life, but he doesn't come willingly, they have history and it doesn't shine a good light on Abigail, so she has to do some serious sweettalking to convince him to help her. These two battle at every turn, push each other's buttons every chance they get... and before long the they being to fall for one another. But it's not an easy fall, it takes lots of time and patience to grow. I really enjoyed what I found between the pages here, the drama was high and kept my eyes glued to the pages, and the romance was sweet... a perfect escape if you ask me! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.
October 25, 2020
***Spoilers splash 💦 throughout this review***

https://ladiikeiii.wordpress.com/2020...

When I saw this book I didn’t even know it went with the series that I had read a while back... I’m glad I got a chance to actually read this, I’m trying to think if this book just came out but I kind of forgot.

But anyways I think that it’s a good thing that Abigail changed from how she was when she was with Chase to how she wasn’t with Chase. I think the people that you do hang around and be with do change you. You could tell that both Chase and Abigail weren’t right for each other.

I was glad that they both saw that in the end. Especially with Chase kept leading her along. She just keeps going back to him; just because she loved her. He ACTUALLY liked Livy more than her. But she just didn’t know that the guy that she didn’t know existed and wasn’t one of the popular kids, but someone that EVERYBODY knew even her friends and others. Was the right fit for her I was glad that she saw that in the end.

Not only that she finally listened to both her sister Ellie and Brett about herself and how she didn’t have to listen to what others say about her. Because lord knows her parents were just some horrible individuals and her mom was just a fool for staying with Abigail and Ellie's dad. Just for some MONEY. That’s why I always say fiction or real life. Never married someone and become a housewife because you’ll never know how your relationship will turn out in the end.

Aby and Ellie's parent's relationship is toxic and I was glad that Abigail didn’t want to follow her mom's footsteps. But I thought for sure her sister maybe would’ve gotten with Blake but I see kind of that she actually loves Eric and he loves her. Just hope that their relationship doesn’t end up like her parents were sheesh that relationship is horrible. That dad of there’s is just a horrible man.
Especially when he was saying all of those horrible things about Aby in front of Brett. I know her parents felt stupid when they learned that she passed and graduated high school. Especially her dad who thought she wasn’t going to pass. Even her mom who didn’t give a care if she passes or fails.

But when she mentions make-up. I was glad that’s what I said. When she didn’t know what she wanted out of life after graduation. I was like she could be a makeup artist. & darn if that’s not what she decided on. I was glad too...
March 27, 2024
I didn’t expect to like this book as much as the first, but it came close.

We already saw glimpses of how broke Abigail really was in book1 and like Livy I felt for her. But I most definitely didn’t like her.

I like to say that a person’s history can surely explain a lot but never excuse.
So while I felt really sorry for Abigail in book 1 (without knowing the specifics we are given in ‘the Backup Girlfriend’ I thought she had no excuse for being that mean and hurtful.

And she didn’t. - But she knew it too.
So “getting in Abby’s head” did a lot for me to understand her better and forgive her. If you can really forgive a fictional character… But that’s what I did.

She already saw her faults and flaws at the beginning of the book but with Chase and Sasha and other friends being great, helpful ad so loyal to her she tried to change.

And she did. To be honest even the reformed version isn’t someone I would want to be friends with, she was just great as the MC.

Brett is also a great character and we see really subtle changes in his behavior, especially towards Abby.
He isn’t perfect. He tends to be quite judgy but he is a really great guy and I liked his family life a lot.
I found myself “looking out” for him and for me he could have been involved in more scenes of the book, but I guess the emphasis was more on Abigails personal development, freeing yourself from toxic people and views and being a better person, no matter what cards you were handed.

Usually I don’t like close friendships between exes, but in this case it strangely worked, ot least because Abby didn’t pretend that some topics or situations would stay awkward because of the previous relationship.

One thing I appreciated a lot was Abby’s sister’s story. Ellie broke up with what a romantic would call her true love and is now married to a rich guy with whom she has a son.

She tells Abby not to make the same mistake of thinking it’s important who their parents approve of BUT she also says she is happy and truly loves her husband.
I just really like that because I hate all these books and movies where cheating is justified because of “true love”.

Ellie is committed and happy and loves her family. Because romantic love doesn’t have to be head over heels to be worthy or real or right.
Profile Image for bookworm_bailey.
225 reviews2 followers
October 15, 2020
THE BACK UP GIRLFRIEND by Emma Doherty

Grove Valley High book 2

Abigail Baker- Senior in high school, popular head captain cheerleader, comes from a broken relationship with her family, Struggling with now she might not be able graduate because she has been so focused on her ex -boyfriend and her break up that her grades have slipped.

Brett Sanderson- Senior in high school, great at tutoring, He might be the only person that can help Abigail get her grades up there is only one issue he refuses until she offers something, he cant refuse.

BLURB
Abigail Baker has messed up. She’s in her last couple of months of high school, and all anyone thinks of her is that she’s the mean girl of Grove Valley High School who doesn’t care about anything.

But she does.

She cares about the state of her relationship with her parents and how damaged it is, she cares that she can’t trust if her best friend is actually loyal to her or about to stab her in the back, she cares that her ex is crazy happy without her and she has to witness it every day, and she definitely cares when she’s told that, because of her behavior and complete lack of interest in school over the last few months, her grades have dropped to the point where she might not graduate.

She’s definitely messed up.

Step in Brett Sanderson, the smartest guy in school and the only person who’s capable of helping her pull her grades up enough to graduate.

Only Brett isn’t Abigail’s biggest fan and refuses to help her unless she sets him up on a date with her friend. That’s fine with Abigail, because he does nothing but annoy her—that is, until he starts to make her smile, until she starts to look forward to their tutoring sessions, until she starts to trust him with things she’s never told anyone before.

But she’s stupid to start liking him, because it isn’t her he likes.

And one thing she does know for sure?

She’s done being everyone’s backup
Profile Image for Jeraca.
2,495 reviews26 followers
October 9, 2020
I received this free eARC novel from the author and Wildfire Marketing Solutions. This is my honest review.

So this is my first book that I've ready by Emma Doherty. I didn't read the other books in this series and I didn't feel like I had to. In fact, I'm a bit glad I didn't because I didn't have Abigail as the evil, mean girl that I may have felt toward her throughout Livy and Chase's novel. Because what I saw here was a girl just trying to figure out her life, and she had a lot of obstacles to overcome in order to find her true self.

This book is a slow burn romance. In fact, this really doesn't have a lot of romance in this novel, to be honest. Usually that is my jam, but the author wrote this so well, that I was sucked into this story and needed to see how things ended. I was rooting for Abigail along with everyone else in her life, and needed her to have a happy ending.

I love that Brett didn't fall at her feet like everyone else does. I LOVED that he studied her so much, he didn't interrupt her to talk, and she would get so awkward and have the need to fill the silence when he didn't reply to something she said. I loved that he pushed her to make herself better, both academically and also as a person. I love that he slowly had to unwrap and unravel the layers that is Abigail because this girl has so many secrets and mysteries, it takes a long time to uncover everything that is about her.

This was a great novel full of heartwarming emotion and relationships. The character development for both Abigail and Brett. More so for Abigail, obviously, but Brett also had some issues to overcome, like stereotyping based on appearances. I'm really glad I got a chance to read this novel and I may just backtrack and read the other books in this series as well :)
Profile Image for Dona M.
388 reviews40 followers
October 14, 2020
THE SWEETEST BOOK I HAVE READ IN A WHILE!



BACK UP GIRLFRIEND IS PERFECT DE-STRESSING FLUFFY, FEEL GOOD ROMANCE THAT I DIDNT KNOW I NEEDED TO READ IN BETWEN THOSE HEAVY READS.
THIS IS 2ND BOOK IN THE SERIES BUT CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE, (THERER ARE MENTIONS OF CHARACTERS THAT ARE FROM BOOK 1) AS THIS IS HAPPENING IN THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL.




WE OFTEN READ ABOUT THE POPULAR GUY DUMPING THE QUEEN BEE AND MOVING ON WITH TRUE LOVE, SO WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE DUMPED GIRL? HOW DOES SHE PICK HER LIFE UP? WILL SHE BE A BI,CH?
THIS BOOK TAKES ON THAT, ABIGAIL BAKER, RECENTLY DUMPED BY HIS POPULAR BOYFRIEND SPIRALS INTO SELF DESTRUCTION AND ALMOST TO THE PATH OF RUINING NOT ONLY HER RELATIONSHIPS WITH HER FRIENDS, SOCIAL CIRCLES BUT ALSO HER CHANCE AT GRADUATION!
THE SUDDEN OUT OF SPIRAL FORCES HER TO REALISE THAT SHE NEEDS TO PICK UP HER LIFE ELSE SHE WILL STAY BEHIND AND ALL HER FRIENDS WILL BE GONE.
ABIGAIL BEGS AND BLACKMAILS BRETT, THE SMARTEST GUY TO TUTOR HER AND WITH BRETT'S HELP, WE SEE HER SLOWLY CLIMBING HER WAY BACK.

THIS WHOLE BOOK HAD SO MANY KEY POINTS AND CHARACTERS, IT WAS RELATABLE AND SO GOOD TO SEE HOW FRIENDS COME TOGETHER AND PULL YOU OUT, THE JOURNEY ABIGAIL TOOK REPAIRED SOME RELATIONSHIPS, TOLD BITTERSWEET GOODBYES TO SOME WHILE FORMING GREAT NEW START TO NEW FRIENDSHIPS AND BEGINNINGS!
THE AUTHOR BEAUTIFULLY CAPTURED ABIGAIL'S STRUGGLE WITH HER HOME LIFE AND HOW THAT SHAPED HER VIEW ON LIFE AND WORK ETHICS, HOW SHE SLOWLY TRIED TO BE BETTER, BE A DIFFERENT VER OF HERSELF!
I HAD SO MUCH FUN READING THIS!
A 5 STAR READ.
3,201 reviews33 followers
October 14, 2020
🏫 A messed-up mean girl finds the light: good behavior wins out!🤗

The bulk of this story I liked. It's a good picture of how cliques, sports stars and queen bees influence everyday life in the halls of high school. It's also a story with an important message: goodness and true friendship has a bigger payoff in the long run than mean and super-competitive behavior.

Abi, the female lead, starts the book at a messed-up low point, self-destructive, humiliated and facing failure. This segment of the story I did not like; her behavior and its consequences made me cringe. I almost gave up reading after a few chapters but I am glad I continued.

I never quite understood why Abi garnered so much goodwill when she obviously had a long history of putting other people down or just ignoring them. Fortunately for her there's a large contingent in her clique who want to see her succeed. And it was good to see Abi slowly change for the better. But I did think Abi got an easy ride thanks to her queen bee status as cheerleader captain/former girlfriend of the school's most popular jock and her family's wealth. Her parents' awful behavior notwithstanding, this girl lucks out.

The romance was cute and although Doherty includes lots of characters in the story, they are distinct and not hard to keep straight. I particularly liked her tutor Brett.

It was not until after I finished the story that I realized I had read about these characters in the Stand-in Boyfriend. The two books are easily read individually.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.



Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.