After high school student Ellie goes viral in a mortifying moment, she doesn’t think that she can possibly go back to school.

So she doesn’t!

She accepts an opportunity to attend a semester abroad in England. The other kids on the trip also go to her school, but they’ve never really crossed paths before because they take all honors and AP classes, and Ellie is more of an average student. This disparity makes her feel a bit awkward, but she’s determined to make it work.

But instead of focusing on school, Ellie’s thoughts drift to hot local boy Will, who is spending his gap year taking a break from school. They hit it off, and it seems like Ellie’s dreams are finally coming true, but then of course, she realizes what’s really important.

This book is sweet, but a bit predictable. Ultimately, it does have some good messages about priorities and believing in yourself, but the final takeaway might have had more of a punch by placing more emphasis on not needing any boyfriend at all. I can’t say anything more without giving too much away.

I don’t want to diminish the positive messages, so I will say that Ellie matures over the course of the book. She holds her own with the “smart kids” and she befriends people she never would have back in the States. She learns to believe in herself, and also how to stand up for herself.

I would recommend Hot British Boyfriend. This book would be absolutely adorable as a teen rom com. I had a fun time reading it, although I think the majority of its appeal lies with the target demographic.

I received an ARC of this book from Harper Teen/NetGalley