#Amreading YA

Happily Ever Afters
Elise Bryant
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

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 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?

Aspiring romance author, Tessa, had lost her words. Suffering from major writer's block, she was encouraged by her best friend to find her muse via her own romance. She thought she found the romance hero to inspire her own love story, but Tessa discovered that maybe her romance needed a re-write. 

One thing that I immediately appreciated about this book was Bryant's ability to weave in issues related to identity, race, disabilities, social stigma, and mental health without it feeling force. It all worked well into this story. I especially loved when Tessa spoke and interacted with her brother, who had cerebral palsy. Some of Tessa's reflections regarding her brother were great to see "said" out loud, and I hope it sheds some light for some regarding how they interact with differently abled people. 

I also loved the friendships we saw in this story. Tessa had to move, leaving her ride-or-die friend, Caroline, behind. You could tell these two were bound for life, though they experienced some growing pains due to the separation. It was good to see the conflict, and how they dealt with it in a rather healthy way. 

Tessa made some fantastic friends at her new school as well. I knew from their very first meeting, that Lenore was friends-forever type material. Theodore was another great member of this group, but my favorite of Tessa's new friends was Sam. 

Sam was the boy next door and a culinary student at Tessa's new school. He was judged sort of harshly by her at first, but I did revel in the fact, that Tessa's appreciation of him grew and she began to recognize the error of her ways. He was a dear-sweet-unicorn boy, and those boys are always my favorites. 

Though I didn't fully agree with her plan, I rooted for Tessa as she tried to recover her writing mojo. She stumbled a bit, but it was wonderful seeing her self-belief grow along with her acceptance and love for herself.

Roman + Jewel
Dana L. Davis
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

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.

She had been working towards this moment her whole life, and finally, Jerzie was cast in a Broadway musical. Though she was only a backup for the lead actress, it was an opportunity with the promise of more. However, when she meets and falls for Zeppelin, the actor playing Roman, she finds her future could be in jeopardy. 

I am always up for a re-telling, and Romeo and Juliet is such a classic to tackle. I thought Davis put a great spin on it and found myself entertained and engrossed in all the show drama. 

Here's five things I liked about Roman and Jewel:

1. Jerzie had a great voice. She captured me from page one with her "what's in a name" soliloquy. Her love of theater bled into everything she said and did, and I was captivated by it. 
2. Not only could I tell how much Jerzie loved theater, but it was obvious Davis adored it too. The references ran deep and were peppered throughout the story, and I had a great time ingested them all. 
3. Being in the city and getting a behind the scenes look at a Broadway musical was fantastic. I got to see all of the moving parts come together as they brought this creation to life, and Davis did an incredible job making me feel as though I was a part of it.  
4. There was no shortage of drama in this story, but it worked for me. I couldn't imagine anything associated with Shakespeare being drama free, therefore I embraced and enjoyed it. 
5. There was some great exploration of themes such as family, friendship, and love, and those are themes I never tire of. 

Overall: I found myself rooting for Jerzie as she struggled between following her heart or her dreams, and I know I wanted her to be able to do both. 

**ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

Have you read any R&J retellings?
Let us know in the comments!