Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka are more than just your average married couple. They’re also high school sweethearts, Harvard and Princeton alumni, and most recently, the brilliant co-writing team behind several acclaimed young adult novels, lovingly dubbed #Wibbroka by fans.
I first had the opportunity to pick up a #Wibbroka book in high school. Always Never Yours follows the life of Megan Harper, a girl whose every romantic relationship appears doomed, because all of her past boyfriends have fallen head over heels for someone other than her. Used to being upstaged, Megan devotes herself to another love–directing theater. But then disaster strikes: she’s cast as Juliet in her school’s production of Romeo and Juliet, when all she really needed to fulfill a college requirement was a minor role. In the ensuing weeks, she meets a boy who shows her she doesn’t have to settle for a supporting role in her own life.
Fast forward a few years. After entering an academic-rivals-to-lovers reading phase, I decided to try the newest #Wibbroka title: What’s Not to Love. And really, there was very little I did not love about this book. It made me remember how much I enjoyed the duo’s brand of storytelling. Instead of an actress and playwright, this book is about two longtime academic rivals forced to plan a high school reunion together. This book was like a breath of fresh air. All too often, the rivals- and enemies-to-lovers trope features characters who argue but aren’t really enemies–not in my opinion, anyway. But that wasn’t the case here. In What’s Not to Love, there is plenty of sabotage, backstabbing, and loaded barbs traded between the characters. Even when their rivalry begins to morph into something more, #Wibbroka never sacrifices any of the competitiveness for the romance.
Emily was born to screenwriter parents and Austin graduated with a degree in English, so naturally, Shakespeare has shaped many of their stories. For example, Always Never Yours has a heavy focus on Romeo and Juliet, and its main character was written to resemble the character of Rosaline from the play. In addition, their 2019 novel If I’m Being Honest has been pitched as Mean Girls meets The Taming of the Shrew. #Wibbroka’s YA novels exclusively revolve around characters who are high school juniors and seniors, and it’s easy to see why. Certain themes can be explored way better with this critical period of time as the backdrop.
Another great part of #Wibbroka’s partnership is that they write a lot of complex, “unlikable” female characters. On the one hand, these women are ambitious, speak their mind, and don’t put up with anyone’s sh*t. But these traits can also translate as callous and judgmental, so these girls have some major growth to undergo, usually while falling for a thoughtful love interest who makes them challenge their current values.
My very favorite thing about this writing couple? Many of the relationships they write about on paper are inspired by their own! Emily and Austin fell in love during high school, where they both were competing for valedictorian of their class (sound familiar?). They stayed long distance through their college years and moved to LA after graduation, where they began co-writing YA novels. They eventually tied the knot in 2019. It’s easy to see where they found the inspiration for their characters; at the California high school they attended, both students were intensely dedicated to their academics, vying for the top bracket of the Ivy League alongside their classmates.
No matter how they started, however, it’s gratifying to see how they ended up–as a team, both professionally and romantically. I’m eager to see what else this pair churns out in the future, as well as any solo projects they take on.