Red Flags Review

 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Received as an arc from Netgalley

"It's got 10 Things I Hate About You written all over it, and Cam knows this." 

Red Flags by Sophie Jo is a young adult romance novel about two people discovering their way through the tangled notions they have about love and relationships. Poppy and Cam are both quick to judge and quick to end a relationship. When their friends, tired of their poor views towards romance, issue them each a challenge to not be the first to leave, they each see the other as a way to prove that they aren’t wrong about their negative beliefs about romance. Can they last together for two months or is there no hope for love for them? 

Being fairly familiar with Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, I was pretty interested in reading a modern retelling. Sophie Jo’s Red Flags promised to be just that.

Poppy is a feminist with set of rules for the type of guy she’s willing to date. Based on a Dream Man she developed after watching The Princess Bride and reading romance books, Poppy has had a few years of dating disappointments. After yet another failed date, Poppy is given the dare to try again but this time she has to stay with him for 2 weeks and can’t be the one to end things.

Cam is unable to accept anyone who he finds uninteresting or shows up late or any other insignificant detail he finds irritating. After discussing his latest failed date, Cam is given a challenge to not be the one to end the relationship next time he dates.

After the two of them meet, Poppy and Cam attempt to develop a relationship while following the rules of the deals they each took. 

Each chapter is titled with a red flag that Poppy or Cam experiences in the chapter. Written with dual-narrative, both Poppy and Cam are fleshed out and given plenty of room to have their views and back stories told. I enjoyed how we get to see throughout the book why Poppy and Cam feel the way they both do about relationships. The world in Red Flags is built with a full cast that felt vaguely familiar in an “I’ve known people like this” way. Poppy and her friends (Stephanie and Jordan) are all well-written as is their friendship. It was all relatable even if the dating deals are not something I’ve gone through. Cam’s relationship with his grandfather was adorable and emotional. I really enjoyed getting a view of Cam from more that just his friends’ and girlfriend’s side. 

While Poppy and Cam’s relationship (or attempt at a relationship) is the main plot, Stephanie and Ciaran’s relationship plays a very important role. Not only do we get to see how an abusive relationship should be handled, we get to see that not all abuse is physical. I would have like Stephanie to get more that just a “you’ll find someone better” ending.  

I enjoyed Red Flags. Since I’m a fan of 10 Things I Hate About You, I had some expectations going into it, Sophie Jo did not disappoint. I’d definitely recommend Red Flags. Especially if you like 10 Things I Hate About You. Red Flags by Sophie Jo is available for preorder and comes out on January 5, 2027.