e-ARC, 384 pages
Release Date: January 5, 2021
Published by: Balzer + Bray
Read from: December 17-27, 2020
Stand-alone
Source: Edelweiss (I received a copy of this book from the Edelweiss in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
TW: MC has anxiety and spirals often. I put this as a warning because I spiraled a few times because of some of her spirals.
For fans of: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Stand-alones, POC on Cover, POC MC, Mental Health, YAJane the Virgin meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in this charming debut romantic comedy filled with Black Girl Magic. Perfect for fans of Mary H. K. Choi and Nicola Yoon, with crossover appeal for readers of Jasmine Guillory and Talia Hibbert romances.
Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson has never felt like the protagonist in her own life. She’s rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she’s a true leading lady is in her own writing—in the swoony love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and #1 devoted reader.
When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program of a prestigious art school, she’s excited to finally let her stories shine. But when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just…gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a solution: Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. And she’s ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps to a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like he walked out of one of Tessa’s stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming.
But as Tessa checks off each item off Caroline’s list, she gets further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about—including the surprising bond she develops with sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She’s well on her way to having her own real-life love story, but is it the one she wants, after all?
*MY THOUGHTS*
When I saw the cover for this book, I was sold. The details on the stickers in her laptop, the fact that there’s a person of color on the cover, and of course there’s the fact that there’s books and reading involved. This had all the makings of a complete Nikki book, and it most certainly was.
“I kept thinking the stories were something we would outgrow, like Dream Zone, but they never stopped. They just became about our relationships with my oown made-up boys instead of someone else’s. Like, fan fiction of our own lives. It wasn’t like we could just go to a bookstore and get the fluffy love stories with girls that looked like us in them.”2%
When Tessa and her family move, she gets into a new school, one that praises her and her creative writing. But, she writes romance novels… Unfortunately, she’s hit a slump and can’t get her words back. Her best friend and her come up with the idea to finally make her the main character of her own love story, and finally get her words flowing back again. But is the guy she wants to be her OTP really up for the challenge?
“Other people’s opinions of me aren’t really my business. And I think that situation says more about them than it does about me. So, I’ve let it go.”31%
OK, so this was good, but it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. The MC had anxiety, which was good rep, but her spirals were a bit too real. She was upset almost every chapter, and it got me upset and spiraling as well. I had to take some breaks before I lost myself. And then there’s the way her brother, and the way her parents were with him were shown. That was hella real for me as well because I too have a sister who has disabilities. I went through the same things and had the same thoughts as a teen. I felt for Tessa every time she felt she had to take the back burner to her parents. It took me a long time before I realized that my parents just thought I didn’t need them as much, but if I had just voiced that I did, they would have given me whatever I needed. And as for her brother, I do feel like the rep there was good as well. My sister only shares some of his disabilities, so I can only attest to what they have in common, but what they did share, I recognized in my sister.
“I was trying to do too much, and they were honest with me like they should have been. I’m grateful for the experience… you can’t learn without critique.”39%
But then there was the romance. I was not a fan. This is probably a spoiler (but I’m sure it’s not a surprise who she goes for) but there’s little to no interaction with the person she actually picks. It was a lot of sweet friendsy things, but she was always treating him so wrongly. It was so cringe-worthy to read. And she was like shallow for a good bit of it as well. Not really my favorite romance.
“I don’t want to be anyone’s second choice, Tessa,” he says, “some sort of consolation prize. You’ve always neen my first choice and I deserve that back.”86%
Lastly, I was just not a fan of the ending. It was so abrupt. And just when you finally think you’ll see some time with them together, it’s over. It just basically ended. It could have been so much more. I remember I kept flipping pages to see if there was more and I missed it or something.
“I thought you were never nervous,” I say. “Not about your food, at least.” That makes him laugh.” “Of course I am. I’m fucking terrified. I’d be crazy not to be, doing all this.” He waves around the room. “But I have to push past the fear. I’ll never know unless I put myself out there.” […] “You say it as if it’s easy.” “It’s not,” he says, “But it’s necesary.”95%
This wasn’t exactly the book I was expecting, but it was ok. I might have been nit-picking, but I expected a little more than what I got from this. Even still, this was an enjoyable first 2021 read.
Overall, I give this
