Thursday, July 07, 2011

Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin

Fans of romance don't need to look any further than the fauxmance brewing between teen idols Charlie Tracker and Fielding Withers—known on their hit TV show as Jenna and Jonah, next-door neighbors flush with the excitement of first love. But it's their off-screen relationship that has helped cement their fame, as passionate fans follow their every PDA. They grace the covers of magazines week after week. Their fan club has chapters all over the country. The only problem is their off-screen romance is one big publicity stunt, and Charlie and Fielding can't stand to be in the same room. Still, it's a great gig, so even when the cameras stop rolling, the show must go on, and on, and on. . . . Until the pesky paparazzi blow their cover, and Charlie and Fielding must disappear to weather the media storm. It's not until they're far off the grid of the Hollywood circuit that they realize that there's more to each of them than shiny hair and a winning smile.

At the beginning of June, I read a book called Between the Lines by Tammara Webber. I didn't love it, but if you read my not-so-stellar review, you already know that. I had a couple of comments from people who liked it, which I thought was awesome-- I love to hear from people who have different reactions to books than I do. I know that sometimes I give great reviews to books that you may end up hating. And I think that's just fine. That's actually what I love most about reviewing books-- hearing feedback from other people about the books I read.

One of the comments I received was from Mary at A Book a Day and she recommended this book to me. It is similar to Between the Lines in that they both are about celebrities, but this one had much less sex, drugs, and drinking. Well, really it had none, which I think makes for better reading material for young adults. (***EDIT: Between the Lines is recommended to MATURE YOUNG ADULTS by the author.)

This book was fairly predictable, but it was also exactly what Mary said it was, "a light, summery read." I loved the time Charlie and Fielding spent together in the beach house. I wish there had been more of it in the book. I thought the verbal sparring got old after a bit, but I did like when they actually had real conversations and got to know one another. I think it's crazy that they worked together for so long and kept up a fake romance and didn't know anything basic about each other. You'd think if you had to make out with someone on a daily basis for the cameras, you'd make an effort to learn their real name. Hence, the secluded beach house.

This book wasn't anything spectacular, but it's a great summer read. If you are in the mood for some "fluff" reading (I'm in the mood for this more than I care to admit...) then this is your book. Thanks for the recommendation, Mary! And be sure to check out her blog for some more great YA book reviews. (Click HERE)

Happy Reading!

1 comment:

Mary said...

Hey Megan, Thanks for the awesome reference! And I'm so glad you liked this one (as I did!).
Mary, A Book A Day