Roman and Jewel by Dana L. Davis

e-ARC, 336 pages
Release Date: January 5, 2021
Published by: Inkyard Press
Read from: December 27, 2020 – January 3, 2021 
Stand-alone 
Source: Netgalley (I received a copy of this book from the Netgalley in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.) 
TW: Self-harm (mentioned, but not pictured on the page), Drugs
For fans of: Contemporary Romance, Realistic Fiction, YA, Re-tellings, Racial/Ethnic Diversity

      If Romeo and Juliet got the Hamilton treatment…who would play the leads? This vividly funny, honest, and charming romantic novel by Dana L. Davis is the story of a girl who thinks she has what it takes…and the world thinks so, too.
     Jerzie Jhames will do anything to land the lead role in Broadway’s hottest new show, Roman and Jewel, a Romeo and Juliet inspired hip-hopera featuring a diverse cast and modern twists on the play. But her hopes are crushed when she learns mega-star Cinny won the lead…and Jerzie is her understudy.
     Falling for male lead Zeppelin Reid is a terrible idea–especially once Jerzie learns Cinny wants him for herself. Star-crossed love always ends badly. But when a video of Jerzie and Zepp practicing goes viral and the entire world weighs in on who should play Jewel, Jerzie learns that while the price of fame is high, friendship, family, and love are priceless.

*MY THOUGHTS*

I was a bit reluctant to read this as I haven’t read anything else from Davis. And as I read this one, I was reminded of why. But the plot was interesting enough for me to want to continue. And in the end, I’m glad I did.

“In your line of business,” Aunt Karla says as we continue our walk, ‘people can be real assholes. Hell assholes can be found in evefry line of business.” “How do you handle it?” “I do my job, and I do it well. Today, some of the main people who treated me like shit coming up- I’m their boss now. If you’re patientm the universe has a way of balancing things out. Trust the process.”

20%

Jerzie Jhames was born for Broadway. And now there’s a new show that she knows she was made for…. Roman and Jewel, a hip-hopera retelling of Romeo and Juliet. The cast is diverse and basically everything she’s ever wanted. Unfortunately, the show wanted a “known someone” to play Jewel, so superstar Cinny is cast instead of Jerzie. Jerzie ends up being her understudy. Jerzie finds herself falling for Cinny’s co-star Zeppelin. As it turns out, Cinny likes him too. Can they make it out of the show without all the extra drama?

“Being honest with yourself is liberating.”

29%

Although I liked this one, I did think it could have been so much better. The romance (which is basically the whole plot of this book) was not great. There was insta-love and a love triangle (really a square). Both things I’m not a fan of in books. So because of that, I rolled my eyes A LOT in this book. Until the end. Beacause for the most part, the love triangle was in their heads. (Hard to explain without giving spoilers, so I leave it there.)

“So long as what’s yours isn’t physically harming you or anybody elsem then yes. Even when it feels crappy. Cuz something really magical happens when you truly accept what’s yours.” What’s that Aunt Karla?” “Well duh. The universe gives you something new.”

30%

I also didn’t care for the main character that much. She was ok for the most part, but she had these super inner monologues that were hella weird. Every time I came up on one I rolled my eyes. It kept jarring me out of wanting to read more. And there’s also the crying. I’m not sure what’s going on, but this is the second book in a row I’ve read about an MC who cries at everything. This one was a lot better than the last, but she still cried a lot as well. Hopefully constant crying isn’t the next trend in YA contemps.

“Will you teach me things, Zeppelin? “Careful Jerzie?”

55%

Even with those things, I LOVED the setting. Broadway? With the rehearsals, and the music, and the dancing? Man, that’s exactly what got me hooked. And then they mentioned Hamilton, and let me tell you, that made me keep reading no matter how I felt about the MC. (The first time Davis mentioned Hamilton, I ended up putting down my book and listening to the Schuyler Sisters song like 8 times.) I can just imagine all the things that go into getting ready for a show on Broadway, and this was the perfect overview of it.

“Everything really is better when you’re in love.”

56%

I also really liked the plot. There was a bit of a whodunit and since I wasn’t expecting it, I thought it was a cool little bit of the book. I did like the middle where she her and Zep’s relationship was growing, but I did skim over a part of it. (If you know me, you know why.) But overall, it was what kept me hanging on to this book.

“…please believe me when I say, I will be wathing Jerzie. So show me somethin good.”

59%

I went back and forth on whether I was going to finish this, but I’m glad I did. This is my first book by Davis and it’s made me want to give more of her books a try!

Overall, I give this