Jane 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 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?
REVIEW: Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for a review. I requested this book after following the author on Twitter. She is absolutely adorable and I was so excited when I was approved to read this book. This book is an absolute delight. Tessa and her family are on average family. Both the mom and Dad work very hard to provide their children with the best in life, including sending both children to special schools. Tessa's brother Miles is special needs, and being a mother to 3 special needs children, I always appreciate this addition to books. Miles steals the show. I love that he is an actual important part to this story and not just a side character. Tessa's neighbor Sam is a caring and compassionate boy, who is not afraid to share his feelings, and there is just not enough of that in the world. Sam's character is what I hope my boys grow up to be. This book covers so many important topics; special needs, social injustice, racism, stereotyping and bullying. This book is sweet, smart, and thoughtful and is the book everyone needs to read right now. A definite 5 star read and a strong debut from this author.
Publication Date: January 5, 2021
My local indie bookstore: Blue Willow Bookshop
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