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#1 New Release 
Teen Runner-Up - 2021 Indies Today Book Awards
 
The person who ruined their lives just might bring them together...
 
Brad is ready for a perfect senior year: he has a seat at the popular lunch table, a gig co-hosting the school''s morning announcements, and a gorgeous girlfriend. But when Carissa breaks up with Brad, his carefully constructed life comes crashing down. Convinced everything would be perfect if only Carissa would take him back, Brad creates a "self-improvement plan" and vows to re-win her heart.
 
Rose wishes she were having a normal senior year like everyone else, but leave it to her twin sister Carissa to butt in and ruin her life. Carissa secretly nominated Rose for the reality TV show Help Me Lose Weight and Live Again-and now Rose is on her way to Texas for three months of calorie-counting, marathon-exercising hell. Rose already felt overshadowed by her "perfect" sister, and collapsing on a treadmill on national TV is not making things any better. Plus, Rose can''t squash feelings for her sister''s boyfriend Brad (even though she knows he would never see her as anything but a friend.)
 
For fans of friends-to-lovers romance comes a heartwarming novel about self-improvement, identity and acceptance in our image-obsessed culture.

Review

"5 stars! Before getting too comfortable, be sure to grab a warm drink and a cozy blanket, because once you pick up  Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life, you won''t be putting it down for a while. Grab a box of tissues as well, because Dallas Woodburn has managed to bring not only humor to the table, but this emotional story is also a tearjerker." —Readers'' Favorite Book Reviews

"Must read. This book deserves 5 stars and no less. A perfect mix of drama, emotions, friendship, love, and family bonding. You will laugh and cry." —Reedsy Discovery

"5 stars! A perfect young adult romance, this slightly outlandish but totally delicious story is as contemporary as it is witty. Sure to give you all the feels!" —Indies Today

"I absolutely love the message behind this story and the Legally Blonde-esque moments where the characters realize that they are trying to change themselves for all the wrong reasons—and what they strive so hard to achieve is not worth nearly as much as discovering the beauty they had inside them all along." —Hope Bolinger, author of the award-winning Blaze trilogy and Dear Hero duology

"A charming slow-burn romance that builds with each page. Your heart will ache and rejoice for Rose and Brad as they maneuver through the obstacles stacked against them by the one person who has brought them together: Rose''s twin sister, Carissa." —Gabi Justice, author of Dog Girl

About the Author

Dallas Woodburn''s debut novel The Best Week That Never Happened was the Grand Prize Winner of the Dante Rossetti Book Award for Young Adult Fiction. She is also the author of the YA novel Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life and the short story collections Woman, Running Late, in a Dress and How to Make Paper When the World is Ending. Her YA novel Before & After You & Me and nonfiction book 1,001 Ways to be Kind are both forthcoming in 2023. A former John Steinbeck Fellow in Creative Writing, her writing has been honored with the Cypress & Pine Short Fiction Award, the international Glass Woman Prize, and four Pushcart Prize nominations. When she''s not writing, Dallas hosts the podcast Overflowing Bookshelves, teaches writing classes for teens and adults, and unapologetically bakes pumpkin-spice everything all year round. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and daughter.

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 54.5 out of 530 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

Johannah Spero5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Juicy love triangle Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2022 Brad and Rose, two lost souls, blame Carissa Hayward for their sorry luck...until they realize that her actions brought out the best in them, and brought them together. A juicy love triangle that kept me cheering for the underdog, yet sympathizing with the "villain." Easy... See more Brad and Rose, two lost souls, blame Carissa Hayward for their sorry luck...until they realize that her actions brought out the best in them, and brought them together. A juicy love triangle that kept me cheering for the underdog, yet sympathizing with the "villain." Easy to read and a joy, the story was one I couldn''t wait to get back to. Highly recommended!

On a side note, I read much of this book on the elliptical...and felt a kinship with Rose during her tough workouts! Many times, it kept me going when I wanted to quit. :) Helpful Report Amazon Customer5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Page Turner! Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2022 I couldn’t put this book down! It captured me from the first page to the last. I loved reading about Brad & Rose and how the book alternated their points of view, sometimes switching mid conversation. Highly recommend! Helpful Report Amazon Customer5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase A Journey of Two Old Souls Finding Each Other Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2022 A beautifully written story of the trials and tribulations of young love, high-school drama, rough times and family struggles. Also a story of strength, friendship, hope and most of all love. A reminder true love us the greatest joy! 💓 Helpful Report Woody Woodburn5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Thanks, Carissa, for a terrific novel! Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2022 I loved how this page-turner unfolds via alternating narrators -- and even though it''s a "YA" novel this 61-yewr-old thoroughly enjoyed it! Helpful Report Melissa’s Bookshelf4.0 out of 5 stars Cute YA coming of age story! Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2022

Enjoyed this cute coming of age YA romance by Dallas Woodburn! The writing really drew me in and I became completely invested in the characters and story. There were so many great messages and I loved the friendship/romance between Rose & Brad. It’s a sweet story of self... See more Enjoyed this cute coming of age YA romance by Dallas Woodburn! The writing really drew me in and I became completely invested in the characters and story. There were so many great messages and I loved the friendship/romance between Rose & Brad. It’s a sweet story of self acceptance, resilience, true friendship, and real love.

“Love means gaining pieces of yourself that you never new existed.”

Brad is devastated when his beautiful, popular girlfriend breaks up with him. Determined to win her back, he develops a self improvement plan. He exercises, gets a dream job at a radio station, learns to play guitar, reads, etc. Soon he finds he’s no longer doing it for Carissa, but for himself. The only person he misses is Carissa’s sister Rose.

Rose’s life is ruined when her twin sister Carissa nominates her for reality show Help Me Lose Weight and Live Again. She flies to Texas and undergoes an intense weight loss exercise program. Constantly surrounded by cameras and intensely scrutinized, she suffers some embarrassing situations, but gains a new friendship. Still, she can’t forget her sister’s boyfriend Brad and wishes she could be more to him than just a friend.

There’s a surprising amount of depth in this story. Both Brad and Rose undergo a lot of growth. I loved Rose’s brilliant speech she gives at the end of the show and Brad’s discovery that lasting love is based on true friendship.

Despite a lot of miscommunication, there is a happy ending. Even Carissa who starts out really mean, manipulative, and selfish, begins to redeem herself. Loved Holly, Daniel, and Leo who stick by Rose and Brad through their difficult times.

I recommend this to teens and adults! Clean with some passionate kissing. Very brief mentions of alcohol and getting drunk, no kids actively drink in the story. No swearing. For sensitive readers, there’s a cancer diagnosis and discussions of weight loss. Thanks so much to the author for providing an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. Helpful Report Jasmine *Simple Reader*5.0 out of 5 stars 5/5 Fluttering-Heart Stars Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2022 Thanks, Carissa, for Ruining My Life is a super cute, light-hearted, and extremely uplifting Coming-of-Age romance story. This book is one of the best comfort reads I’ve ever had as the writing style makes it easier to fall in love with the main characters, whose... See more Thanks, Carissa, for Ruining My Life is a super cute, light-hearted, and extremely uplifting Coming-of-Age romance story. This book is one of the best comfort reads I’ve ever had as the writing style makes it easier to fall in love with the main characters, whose personalities are simply too distinctively down-to-earth not to be friends with.

What I appreciate most about this book is that the characters are incredibly lovable as everything they experience is somewhat indispensable in our lives, making their adventures much more relatable. With the spectacularly eloquent writing style, I can easily resonate with Brad, Rose, and even Carissa to some extent, and I’m truly in awe. Never in a million years do I expect to feel so close to fictional characters; thus, this story will definitely stay with me for a very long time.

Lastly, I’d like to wrap up this review by saying that Thanks, Carissa, for Ruining My Life is undoubtedly the best choice for Coming-of-Age, YA Contemporary Romance book recommendation. The story teaches us how to be a better person by constantly being KIND, spreading POSITIVITY, and putting yourself in others’ shoes as often as you can. You never know whether it’s also a hard decision for someone like Carissa—who seems superficial on the outside but is actually a big softie on the inside—to RUIN your life by doing what she does.

All in all, I HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND Thanks, Carissa, for Ruining My Life and though this book is my first by this author, it certainly won’t be the last. Helpful Report Tracie Gutknecht3.0 out of 5 stars Full of positive messages Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2022 This book has everything that you would want from a book in this genre - characters that experience growth and change as well as messages of positivity. At the beginning of the novel, Carissa has ruined both her twin sister Rose and her now ex-boyfriend Brad''s... See more This book has everything that you would want from a book in this genre - characters that experience growth and change as well as messages of positivity.

At the beginning of the novel, Carissa has ruined both her twin sister Rose and her now ex-boyfriend Brad''s lives. She signed Rose up to be on a reality show like Biggest Loser and she broke up with Brad right before the start of their senior year. Brad makes a list of things he can do to get Carissa back and sets about changing his life. Rose goes to fat camp, but is doing so under protest. She is the people pleasing twin and she just wants to make everyone else happy.

Both Rose and Brad do make changes that impact their life in a positive way and Carissa isn''t as perfect as they both thought originally.

The story is good, but not necessarily super original. Also, the writing felt very juvenile, even for a YA novel. This might be better classified as middle grade even though the characters are seniors in high school. Helpful Report Jennifer4.0 out of 5 stars Cute Friends to Lovers YA Story Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2022 This is a friends to lovers romance about Brad, whose girlfriend Carissa just broke up with him and Rose, Carissa''s twin sister. Brad wants to win Carissa back and is on a self improvement journey to do so. At least, in the beginning he is. Carissa has secretly nominated... See more This is a friends to lovers romance about Brad, whose girlfriend Carissa just broke up with him and Rose, Carissa''s twin sister. Brad wants to win Carissa back and is on a self improvement journey to do so. At least, in the beginning he is. Carissa has secretly nominated Rose for a weight loss TV show so she is there for three months of her senior year of high school, not exactly the year she was hoping for.

Thanks, Carissa, is a cute YA romance that was a lot of fun to read. At first I was more interested in Rose''s chapters (it switches POV between her and Brad) but I quickly became invested in both of them. I really loved the way Brad treated Rose. He always cared for her and wanted to be there for her even before she was this ‘new’ version of herself. Rose’s journey to self love was great and I loved her little speech on the reality show.

This is a great story about friendship and accepting yourself just the way you are.

Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Helpful Report

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