I knew this book would be adorable, but aaaaaah-all the feels are striking my heart. My poor, poor heart.

Bookish Boyfriends by Tiffany Schmidt broke the glass ceiling of my expectations. Usually they’re super high and I can be snobbish about what I read, but this book took my breath away. *fans self* Like if I could cuddle anything at night (except any of my dozen plushies), I’d cuddle this book. Oh, and if you’re on the hunt for a new book bf, Ms. Schmidt has you covered! *squeee~*

Before I dive into boylandia, let’s talk our indomitable heroine Merrilee “Merri”. She’s 15, super smart, a total book nerd, a romantic optimist (don’t see much of those right? ;D) and she’s on a quest, to find her own story I guess.

I typically don’t relate to characters, but Merrilee was totally me back in high school. Although I had my head up in the clouds more often than burrowed in a book during class, it was because the storyteller in me would kick in when my hands were empty of a book. Shhhh! Don’t tell any of my old teachers though.

Also this: Cream soda trumped cola.

Yes! *high fives Merri*

Merri’s adventure/”story” starts when she transfers from an all-girls school to the prestigious private academy in her town (er, city?). We never actually do find out where homegirl lives…unless I missed it and I’d been so dazzled by the boys in this book.

Anyways, she gets to transfer to this school, her parents are struggling with paying their bills and adding the stress of the crazy school tuition to their list, and Merrilee figures a school called Reginald R. Hero High or “Hero High” for short has to be the start of her romance. Especially with her parents reliving their own meet-cute in high school, and their encouragement of their three daughters (Merri plays the middle child) discovering romance (their eldest, Lilly, Merri’s sister is getting married). And I quote:

She kissed my cheek. “Maybe you girls will meet your special someones at Hero High.”

Oh, parents. Your daughters are what, 15 and 14?! They should be focused on their studies. They’re lucky they’re as adorable as Merri is.

Merri does have her heads super far in the clouds. I don’t think I can say we relate AT ALL when she calls Romeo and Juliet “the most romantic story in the world” and how she’d “die to have a boy love [her] that much.”

Um, ew. No. They were like, what, 13. Or at least Juliet was. I’ll let it go. Merri’s, what, a dreamy-eyed sophomore.

Luckily her voice of reason is one of her best friends, Eliza. Eliza, unlike Merri, doesn’t really like the romance fiction Merri reads. She’d rather read Darwin’s On the Origin of Species rather than Romeo and Juliet any day. Even though Merri envies her beauty and brains—Eliza’s got both—and Merri only considers herself “cute”, it’s funny how she sees most of the boy action in this book.

But Eliza also envies Merri for her close relationship with her family. Eliza’s own parents are well-renown biologists who have traded spending time with their only child to traipse after biological breakthroughs. It’s sad stuff, and I love every moment Merri is protective of her (and vice versa). If you haven’t figured, Bookish Boyfriends totally passes the Bechdel test. They don’t talk about just boys.

Speaking of boys, let’s get to the fun parts:

They were two major love interests, er, rivals for Merri’s affections in this book, although I honestly wouldn’t call it a love triangle (thankfully). In one corner we have Monroe Stratford, the resident Romeo of Hero High. He’s all dark and emo and theatrical and more quick on the ball to snag Merri’s attention and heart and lips. But in the other corner, keeping up with his own broody mystery, is Fielding Williams.

Okay, first the names—lol. They are a bit OTT for me. Then again, this story is supposed to be light, magical and kiss-y AND it delivers so I’m turning a blind eye. Also, Fielding grew on me, and Monroe is a great unisex name. It conjures up dark, wangsty dreams of a teenage boy’s hopes and aspirations.

Anyways, let’s move on to how each of these men were sort of mirroring characters in a classic romance, and how they opened Merri’s eyes to the lesson she ended up learning at the end of this novel. Without spoiling too much, let me say that looks can be deceiving, and I don’t mean that in a negative light solely. Merri can come off judgemental, even if some of it is a defense tactic to protect her emotional health. I get it. I don’t like putting myself out there either.

Merri’s strong though, and she doesn’t navel-loop. She wasn’t sitting around for chapters moping and bemoaning all the drama in her life. She usually went right in for the kill whenever curiosity got the best of her. A heroine after my own heart… *sigh*

Back to Fielding. Oh, Fielding. He was the perfect Darcy. And, yes, that’s not a spoiler. He’s such a Fitzwilliam Darcy.

The angst is just too much, the tension between Merri and Fielding is truly scorching. They are my ship: #Merrifield—it’s the best I could do without butchering it; doesn’t follow ship-naming convention but it works. Let’s run with it.

So, yeah, whenever these two would encounter it was like sparks tingled through me! And, Ms. Schmidt, has the perfect way to describe it. Take this quote for instance:

But [Fielding] didn’t go away. Instead he inhaled deeply and said, “You baffle me.”
The words were rich with emotion, a rarity from someone so starched and measured. I glanced at him, at his brown eyes that seemed wide and searching, like I was the word that stood between him and crossword puzzle mastery.

So, so cute! I mean I over-“aww”-ed myself with this one.

Obviously you can tell who my vote is with by now…so let’s talk about the boys in general.

And I mean really only Monroe and Fielding. It’s not hard to notice they talk awfully weird. As in, not age appropriate. I get that this is supposed to sort of be mirroring classic romances a la Austen’s Pride & Prejudice but it comes off strange to me. It’s out-of-place from what I’d expect 16 and 17-year-old boys to sound like, at least from what I recall in high school and what I see on TV (also like teenaged cousins and stuff). No teen boy sounds like he just stepped out of Pride & Prejudice…and yet I do believe that’s the point of this novel.

Merri certainly struggles with the impossible and improbable throughout the book. Mostly in the form of her (maybe magical?) English teacher. No spoilers beyond this point, but trust me, you’ll want to read Bookish Boyfriends. It’s a cleverly written, thoroughly entertaining read.

One last thing I’d like to mention, the characters in this book were all terrifically nuanced, and the ending isn’t cookie-cutter happily-ever-after for everyone…or even for Merri. She’s 15! I wasn’t holding my breath for her to get married. That’d be creepy. My point is it ends sweetly and perfectly. It’s definitely a keeper for me…once I grab a copy.

Which brings me to close this rambling review as I honestly could go on and on and grow more incoherent as I gush about Bookish Boyfriends, but you could spend your time better by grabbing this book and seeing for yourself what I mean. And lucky for you, this book hits shelves (virtual and otherwise) today!! *tosses confetti*

I had a hard time with this book. I really enjoyed it but there were points where I felt like it dragged on and I wasnt exactly sure what was going on in the story. I liked the ending and I'm hoping the second book is about Rory and Little Women.

This was just the book I was in the mood to read. It was a nice light contemporary filled with boy drama and bookish daydreams. It explored different types of romance and the realities of book romance versus how it works in real life, showing that dramatic gestures that are made in books are often over the top and just plain embarrassing in real life.

I found the characters all very interesting and very quickly grew to love Merrilee, her friends and her sisters very much. I can't wait to read more in this story. I want to know about some of the stories that were hinted at during the book and I hope that we can learn more about Trent and Lilly in the next book and how they met as well as Rory'story which I definitely want to find out about.

The only criticism I have is that for a character who is supposed to read all the time and be obsessed with book romance, not only had she not read Pride and Prejudice before (let alone not even knowing the story, especially since Darcy is one of the most talked about love interests, which Merrilee knew nothing about), but she didn't read much at all through the whole book. For a girl who started off not being able to put her book down for long enough to get dress, she then barely read anything that wasn't for school for the rest of the book.

Still, I'm really looking forward to the next book. I want a whole series of people being steered towards their stories. It's a wonderful idea.

Merrilee Campbell is a bubbly teenager and voracious reader. Every once and a while she will find a new book boyfriend after devouring yet another romance novel. Merrilee believes that boys are better in books. Her friends, Eliza and Toby, have accepted this quirk about their long time friend. When Merrilee and her friend Eliza transfer from an all-girls school to the prestigious Hero High, Merrilee is finally ready to find romance. But will she be able to find a boyfriend just as captivating as the ones she reads about in books?
A Date With Darcy is a modern retelling of Pride & Prejudice with quite a few twists. Merrilee is just as loveable as Elizabeth Bennett, and she has way more quirks, such as wearing socks that do not match, and getting easily swept away by romance. Although I have never been a bubbly Merrilee, I could definitely identity with her. As a fellow bookworm, I definitely had many crushes on characters from books or t.v. shows when I was a teen. My enthusiasm for Pride & Prejudice got to such a high intensity that my friend gave me a notebook for my birthday so that I could rant about classic novels instead of ranting about them out loud.
Out of all the retellings of Pride & Prejudice I have read, A Date with Darcy is by far my favorite. A Date with Darcy captures the humour of Pride & Prejudice without having to religiously stick to the storyline. I find it a little annoying when a retelling tries to incorporate elements of the original just so that it “seems” like a retelling. The best thing that any author can do with a retelling is to use it as a springboard. Whenever I read retellings, I find the strength of the retelling is in its differences from the original and not in the similarities. A Date with Darcy accomplishes the requirements of a retelling by having some similarities with the original, but it is very unique on its own. Each of the main characters in A Date with Darcy are fully formed and they have history with each other. Merrilee’s friendship with Eliza is given a lot of background history, as with her friendship with Toby. I felt as if I were a fly on the wall watching the lives of these characters in-progress instead of as if they just popped into existence for the purpose of the story.
I can’t wait to read the sequel in the Bookish Boyfriends series. I really hope that the author will stay in the same “universe,” and explore the relationships between the other characters, and maybe check in on Merrilee. Merilee is such a fun character and I hope I get to see more of her in the next book.
I would recommend A Date with Darcy to those who are looking for a light read. For me, it was a nice change of pace. I would also, of course, recommend this book to those who love Pride & Prejudice, or want to read Pride & Prejudice in the future.

I’m going to start by saying I have read a couple of books by Tiffany Schmidt, and I have met her in person. Bookish Boyfriends is probably the most Tiffany book I have ever read. It felt like she was reading the book too me instead of me reading it and it was perfect. I don’t even know how to describe just how perfect it was.

Bookish Boyfriends is the story of Merrilee, a new transfer student (along with her BFF, Eliza and sister, Rory), to Hero High. Having been in all girl school Merri is ready to go to a co-ed school and live out the fantasies she has been reading in books for years. She is ready to hold a breath she didn’t know she was holding, swoon, have her heart skip a beat. She wants it all. But when Merri finds some of her book fantasies actually coming true and things just aren’t as she thought they would be she starts to wonder if life is really better in books.

What I loved most about Merrilee is she is basically every book nerd that has ever lived. She lives with her nose in a book, believes in the magic and power and storytelling of books, and believes that boys in books are just better than real life. She is a dreamer. She felt like a piece of me so she was easily relatable. But she was also a mess and ALWAYS getting herself in trouble because she lead with that dreamer heart and seemed to miss everything that was right in front of her, especially the most perfect guy for her.

Other things I loved (not including the awkwardly, perfect guy)? Merri’s sisters, Rory and Lilly, and her best friend Eliza. These ladies were the perfect counterpart to Merri’s crazy. The 4 of them together, although not in scenes altogether, brought out the best in Merri because they were all so different from her. They were a great supporting cast. They loved her for who she was, dreamer and all, even if they didn’t 100% agree with her.

Sorry if this review is all over the place. When I love a book I have trouble finding the right words. What I will leave you with is that I’m not a fan of Austen books and Pride & Prejudice is a part of this story. But I am a fan of Tiffany and Bookish Boyfriends and I’ll take her version of Darcy ANY DAY! Just make sure this is on your TBR. You won’t be sorry.

Now give me book 2!!!!!!!!!!

This book just wasn't for me. I typically gravitate away from contemporary/romance novels but I gave this one a chance based on the idea of "bookish boyfriends" and how I do tend to "fall in love" with book characters from time to time. This one was just a little too "fluffy" for me. DNF.

Super adorable book that most self-proclaimed book nerds will love. It's a funny and amazing read that is just fun! Great for any YA reader!

I loved this from the first chapter, I laughed out loud too many times to count, and I didn't put it down until I was finished. Outstanding! I loved the characters. There are some great nuances Merrilee discovers as she matures through the story. I'd read 10 more books like this - I hope there will be more books in the series.

There is much to love about this witty, charming book which offers positive representations and a diverse cast of characters. Our heroine is the clumsy but clever Merilee who is starting at a (posh) new school, with her best friend Eliza and sister Rory, only to embarrass herself a million different ways on the first day alone. Readers are cringing and laughing and crying at her antics and their repercussions, but we are also warming to her generous and loyal heart.

Schmidt’s attempts to parallel the contemporary story with classics mostly works. I found the first half wherein we follow a Romeo & Juliet narrative not as successful as the second half where we track Darcy and Elizabeth. Merrilee’s impulsive leap into love with the first boy who makes eyes at her is a good introduction to her, and it allows readers to settle into the rhythms of the story. However, the love interest is waay too unrealistic and his attempts at wooing just not plausible at all.

It’s hard to talk about the book without spoiling. However, I enjoyed all of Merrilee’s musings and attempts to fit in and not cause trouble, but also to stay true to her beliefs. The roles of the adults were varied and some were helpful, and others were a hindrance, which is also believable.

It seems this is going to be a two book series, and I understand we will next follow the adventures of younger sister, Rory. But I really hope we also get Eliza’s story too, because she is a most intriguing character. Here she is sidelined to Meri’s wingwoman, and cast in the role of worrying and cautioning. But I really think there’s a lot more to her than that.

There were lots of other issues explored, including privilege and making assumptions about other people (looking at you, Fitzwilliam Darcy), women in politics, and parental expectations (they only do it because they care). I also enjoyed Meri’s personal growth, and how she learnt to stop comparing her life to a book, and starting living the moment, and making her own choices.

A Date with Darcy is lots of fun and recommended for readers who like their contemporaries lighter and more romantic than issued-based. Initially, lots of characters are introduced which is confusing, but eventually they separate into individuals who all contribute to the storylines. It is heavy on the kissing (& more), but it’s not graphic or exploitative. The love interest is well developed and quickly became my favourite character. He is so swoony. The ending is satisfying, and leads nicely into the next book. Thanks to publisher, Amulet and Netgalley for advanced copy. A Date with Darcy is out on May 1.

When Merilee transfers from an all girls school to Reginald R. Hero High she thinks it just might be the place she might meet her personal hero. That is, if they can live up to all the bookish boyfriends she's forever dreaming about. Having herself surrounded by actual Romeo's it seems that Merilee might just be living out one of her favorite love stories of all time.

 The Story
Okay, so I was really thrown by this book. Initially when I started this book I thought I would spend it rolling my eyes from cheesy cringe worthy moments. But I didn't! I must say, it did take me a quite a few chapters to find myself invested, but once I was, I was there for the long haul, which to be honest, I did think the book was a little long for a YA contemporary.

So, at first I was a little confused, because I thought to myself, "where's Mr. Darcy?" because, to be honest, I picked this because I am a sucker for anything P&P inspired. When the book started off spouting Romeo & Juliet bits I was a bit lost. I am so glad I stuck it out, because somehow Schmidt was able to bring it around to relate to P&P.  Let's just say I was swoony and cringing in the good way by the end, sighing, laying my kindle against my chest and smiling really cheesily towards my husband. If you want your HEA, it's definitely can be found here. 

I loved that this book referenced real books as well as I am assuming some fictional. A lot of the references were sneaked in so well, I just loved the extra seasoning it added to the book. I thought it really brought together the obsessive nature Merilee had towards books. The best part was how Merilee started to realize what a life would be like if the things that happened in the books happened in real life and ultimately how it made her feel. 

Okay, so things I didn't like? Obviously the slow to start and the length. I don't think I really need to delve more into that. The thing that really irked me was mostly how perfect everyone in Merilee's life was. I think too much time was spent on how swoony these boys were, especially when her best friend was incredibly sensitive to be objectified for her looks. I didn't think it quite matched. 

Anyway, if you like cutesy YA contemporaries, especially ones that involve book nerds and psuedo retellings of classics, then by all means, pick this up.

Oh and Tiffany Schmidt, please tell me that the next book is a Date with Theodore Laurence!

The Characters
Let's just talk about Merilee. She had a great arc as she learned from her selfish whims about dream boys to reality. Let me be incredibly frank about why I loved her from the beginning and please don't judge. I was exactly the same way when I was 15. I am not joking that I would rush into a "friendship" with a boy just to see if it would play out into a great swoon worthy romance. I'd like to admit that I was definitely boy crazy and incredibly flighty. I was Lydia Bennet. It's such a surprise that I got married at 18 and am still happily married 12 years later. Yay us.

What an absolutely cute and funny read!

“Someday, I’ll have my first kiss/boyfriend/love—hopefully before I’m ancient—but until then . . .” I shrugged and looked longingly at the book on my pillow. “Boys are so much better in books.”


Merilee is the middle of three sisters. Her oldest sister is knee-deep in wedding prep for her marriage to a senator’s son, and her artsy younger sister is getting ready to start at a prestigious new school, Hero High, along with Marilee and her best friend, Eliza. Things aren’t quite what they seem, though – between a recycling can clash with a snotty student, a headmaster who seems set on proving she doesn’t belong, and an English teacher with a glowing coffee mug, Merilee’s feeling uncertain in her new school. Luckily, Merilee and Eliza settle in to a great group of new friends, and hey, who’s that mysterious guy brooding over by the theater department? But things – at school and in romance – are never quite what they seem…

“The way he looked at me made my throat dry and my knees weak. Two clichés I hadn’t really believed in before. My heart was racing, my cheeks were warm—four clichés! Was that what romance was? The moment you found out clichés were real? In that case, should I bite my lip and look up at him through lowered lashes?”


First off – I liked Marilee. She can be a bit too much – she’s in love with the idea of romantic heroes, even ones like Romeo and Gatsby – and I definitely had some pretty severe secondary embarrassment from some of her early antics, though teenage me would’ve adored every second! She describes her style as “toddler chic” – lots of color and sparkly things – and makes a habit of wearing funky mismatched socks every day. She’s typically got her head stuck in the clouds (or, more likely, a book) and relies on her best friend, down-to-earth Eliza, to keep her on track. But after attending an all-girls school for years, how can she resist her first chance at swoon-worthy romance?

“‘A cautionary tale about poor timing and why neither mail delivery nor drugs are reliable.’ Yes, if you take nothing else away from Romeo and Juliet: send important mail with delivery confirmation, and don’t do drugs.”


As with most readers who’re familiar with Romeo & Juliet and Pride & Prejudice, I found the plot pretty predictable. The fun, however, is seeing how Ms. Schmidt fit the various bits of these classics into Merilee’s story. The mash-up works surprisingly well, especially since, while Merilee is familiar with R&J, she’s reading P&P while the events are happening. It’s also hilariously funny (see the one sentence review of R&J above). From her parent’s store name (Haute Dog – they sell designer doggy wear, among other things) to one-off turns of phrase – “Yankee Candle massacre” for one romantic attempt gone awry – the book kept me giggling. It’s not just about teen romance, though, as it also handles Merilee’s relationships with her friends and family and the quintessential YA quest of Merilee figuring out who she is, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much she grew over the course of the book.. There’s some particularly sweet bits about family through Merilee’s interactions with her parents and sisters.

Overall, if you’re someone who’s had a book boyfriend before – especially a classics book boyfriend – you’ll love this book! I’m very much looking forward to the next book, which I’m guessing will star Merilee’s younger sister, though I’d also like to see one for her friend Eliza!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

As far as sixteen year-old Merrilee is concerned, boys in books are much better than boys in real life. What she wouldn't give to have a real boy sweep her off of her feet into a whirlwind romance like her favorite book boyfriends. She's about to get the chance of a lifetime when she, her best friend, and her sister start at a prestigious new high school, but things don't always turn out the same way for her as they do for her favorite heroines.

Bookish Boyfriends by Tiffany Schmidt sounded like it could be a fun YA contemporary. I have a hard time saying no to a character who loves books. Unfortunately, the first half or so of this story was incredibly grating, and a lot of that is due to Merrilee herself. As a book lover, I really hope I'm not half as annoying as Merrilee to my peers who don't love reading quite so much as I do. I probably gave my eyes quite a work out with all of the rolling they were doing in the sockets, especially as her English class starts studying Romeo & Juliet and Merrilee begins to think she's found her own personal Romeo - not what I'd call a good thing, by the way. The second half of this story is where things really begin to take off. I'd give the second half maybe four stars actually. I loved Merrilee's wake up call. She begins to grow as a character which was great, and a relief to see actually. By the way, I have to say I think I identified the most with Merrilee's English teacher - and that makes me feel pretty dang old. Finally, I liked the element of the events of the books Merrilee's reading seemingly manifesting into her life, but this totally wasn't that kind at all even though I wish it could have been.

Overall, Bookish Boyfriends by Tiffany Schmidt was a serviceable YA Contemporary that begins to pick up way too late to really overcome an annoying opening. Once it does pick up the pace though I found myself actually beginning to enjoy it. I was pleased to see that our main character actually begins to improve and change for the better as the story progressed. If you like bookish characters that prefer their reading material to the real world, you may also want to meet the heroine of Bookish Boyfriend.

merrilee campbell has long been convinced that her book boyfriends are better than the real thing. but now that she's starting the school year at a co-ed school, she's not opposed to trying out the real boyfriend thing.

but figuring out what romance is and what is real in bookish boyfriends is trickier than she thinks. so is fitting into a school where the headmaster and some students seem to have it out for her. following merrilee's travails is the stuff pure entertainment is made of. whether she's convinced her life is romeo and juliet reincarnated or pride and prejudice book allusions and callbacks abound, and as a recovering english lit major i loved them.

**bookish boyfriends will publish on may 1, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/abrams kids (amulet books) in exchange for my honest review.

Going into this book, I was hoping for a cute and fluffy contemporary novel, and that is exactly what I got! This book was as sweet as cotton candy, which was adorable and fun.

At first, I did have a hard time getting into this book because it was a bit slow and the characters felt SO young. I didn't care that the characters were younger than me, but this was a YA book where I could really feel how young the characters were. The dialogue in this book just had a young and childlike vibe to it, which made it hard for me to connect to at times. I definitely would recommend this book to younger readers as they would probably relate to the characters more than I did.

Even though the characters felt so much younger than me, I still really enjoyed them. Merilee was a book obsessed girl who fell in love with all the men in the books she read. Merilee was a girl who believed men in real life could not measure up to fictional men, and I have never agreed with a character more! I also loved how strong and determined Merilee was. She was never afraid to stand up for herself and take control of uncomfortable situations. I think she is a great role model for younger girls!

I found the romances in this book to be charming and precious! There was what felt like a case of insta-love, but I felt like it worked pretty well for this endearing and cute novel. The romance seemed like it really fit with the vibe of this book, so the romance did not bother me like I thought it would. There were plenty of adorable and swoony moments that had me smiling ear to ear throughout the book. I was really happy that this book also focused on other relationships besides romantic ones. This book explored the relationships between sisters and families, which was a heart-warming element of the story.

Overall, this was a quick and fun story. If you are a younger reader who wants a fun contemporary romance novel, then I would recommend checking this book out!

3 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *

3.5 stars

Boys are better than books is Merrilee's mantra. She is obsessed with the boys the in many books she reads, but is dying to try out kissing on a real life boy and find her happily ever after. Transferring from an all-girls school to an exclusive co-ed private university seems like the perfect opportunity to get her happy ending. Even more perfect—she's been assigned Romeo and Juliet (aka the most perfect love story ever) in English class and she has met her Romeo.

Monroe is gorgeous, broody, mysterious and Romeo in the upcoming school play. He's everything romance-obsessed Merri ever wanted in a relationship. He's the most-perfect boy in the planet. Until she realizes that his affections for her might be based on something other than her brain.

Then she bumps into Fielding Williams, the stuck-up headmaster's son who views her as little more than dog-shit.

I enjoyed this YA chick-lit lite book. As other reviewers have previously stated, it's not deep, and it does read like it's geared towards the younger YA audience (I'd like to point out that Merri is 15, so the younger target audience is not a bad thing), and it's heavily peppered with insights and comments on classic literature, particularly Romeo and Juliet and Pride and Prejudice.

I would have loved this book more had Merri's friends not completely dropped out of the picture (along with several other plot points) by the 60% mark after being usurped by a boy of all things. While I did like that at least her younger sister remained in the picture, Rory's only real point in the plot was to be the Lydia to Merri's Lizzy (to an extent).

When I first requested this book, I thought it was a stand-alone, but apparently it's part of a duology (or longer, I dunno). I'm looking forwards to having some resolution to some of the plot holes left at the end of the story, and to see someone else find their story.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Starting at a prestigious new high school, Merrilee is eager for the chance to find her “thing” other than reading — though she doesn’t have much hope for romance, because she thinks boys are always better in books. Enter Big Man on Campus Monroe Stratford, the Romeo to her Juliet (a play they just happen to be reading in English class). But Monroe turns out to be not as perfect as he seems. If Merri was wrong about him, should she reconsider her opinion of the snobby headmaster’s son, too?

Fans of Shakespeare and Jane Austen will love this story’s parallels to Romeo & Juliet and Pride & Prejudice. The Mr. Darcy analogue is particularly swoon-worthy. But the best part? It’s all set up for a sequel. Pure fun.

This book was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

2.75 out of 5 stars

official blurb:
The first of two books in an intended paperback original series about a girl whose classic literary crushes manifest in real life. Merrilee Campbell, 16, thinks boys are better in books, chivalry is dead, and there’d be nothing more romantic than having just one guy woo her like the heroes in classic stories. She’s about to get the chance to test these daydreams when she, her best friend, Eliza, and her younger sister, Rory, transfer into Reginald R. Hero High, where all their fantasies come true—often with surprising consequences.

my blurb:
A romance reading teen goes to a new school and experiences love and it's perils for the first time.

 what I didn't like:
I had a love hate relationship  (mostly hate) with our protagonist, Merrilee. As the premise states, she is obsessed with all things literature (love), particularly sappy love stories (don't love).  You know those love-sick teens who idealized everything sappy and unrealistic in life and focus in on that entirely and that's all they ever talk about? That is our main girl. I couldn't get past that in the end and therefore couldn't rank this book higher.
 
what I liked:
The authors writing style was enjoyable and a good fit for the high school reader. And I loved the premise. Did anyone see Austenland? Because that's what this premise and book kind of reminded me of. (Side note: that movie is hilarious and must be seen immediately).
 
Overall, the annoyance with Merrilee sunk this book for me and is why I couldn't rate it higher.
 
If you would like to buy a copy of this book click here. It is available May 1st, 2018.

This was a very cute, light read! Although I did find it kind of boring at times, and the first half of the book definitely lacked the substance I was hoping for. I feel like in the beginning the protagonist lacked something and that made it hard to connect with her and the story. However the second half of the book took a turn and I very much loved it. Before requesting this title on NetGalley I was very intrigued because - A book about a girl who loves books? Sign me up for that anytime. So you could say I was very here for this.

'...I want to figure you out. I'm trying to. You're worth the effort. You're worth...everything.'

Merrilee is a bookworm and enjoys reading about bookish romances much more than the real life experiences. Obsessing over the boys she constantly reads about. Not believing that any relationship could be that great in real life. The book had a couple of strange, I'm going to call them 'magical moments' and I found that to be very interesting. It was almost like the books Merri read started to actually manifest in her life. I honestly found it a little weird to begin with and I think that was because the first one was Romeo and Juliet. The fact the protagonist wanted a Romeo and Juliet kind of love story made me cringe because I hate what that play represents and the references to the play almost made me give up reading early on. However I'm very glad I kept reading because all that was actually addressed and I am so thankful for that! If I was rating the book only on the first half I would not have given it more than one star but it totally got turned around and the author managed to surprise me. It was honestly, pretty excellent I'm not going to lie.

'...he didn't go away. Instead he inhaled deeply and said, "You baffle me." The words rich with emotion...'

There is a hint of insta love but I think it worked well with the storyline, at first the reader obviously isn't aware of the whole story so it's hard to push through if insta love is a deal breaker for you, but I would say if you do start reading and find it a little irritating like I did, to try and push through. In my opinion the story in its entirety was very well put together and I enjoyed the way the author took tropes that I usually hate and make me kind of love them. The second half was much more slow burn and there was tonnes more development and a generous size topping of angst. And you know me, I live for angst so I was definitely happy about that. The plot was slow to an extent but that wasn't a problem for me because I still flew through it, and in the places that it did pick up, it wasn't at all jarring and worked well with the storyline.

'My words were embers and sparks; I couldn't spit them out fast enough, but they still burned.'

The writing was very hard to get used to at the beginning, but I think my problem concerning that was that all my recent reads were very fast paced and there wasn't as many small moments dedicated to smaller things not just the main plot and it just took me a while to get used to that again. But I have to say that I very much enjoyed the slower pace. 

'...I glanced at him, at his brown eyes that seemed wide and searching, like I was the word that stood between him and crossword puzzle mastery.'

I adored the exploration of the sister relationships and the familial relationships in general. But my favourite thing without a doubt about the entire book was how strong willed the main character is. The instances that she stands up for herself are very empowering and it was great to see a woman take control and save herself, not get saved by a guy swooping in. I mean there are instances of that too but the parts where Merri sticks up for herself were fabulous!

Overall this was a very conflicting read for me, because on one hand I really didn't like the first half of it while I was reading it but now looking back I understand it better after reading the whole thing, and I'm glad I suffered through those first few chapters because the end result made it worth reading. If you're looking for a light read with hidden depths to get lost in, I would definitely recommend giving this book a try. Keep an eye out for it on it's release date: 1st May 2018!

RATING: 3.75 Stars

Bookish Boyfriends is a cute, fun young adult read that is pretty relatable to any avid book reader. The characters were fun and cute and it's overall an easy read. While it wasn't my favorite, it's definitely an adorable one to check out when you need something quick to read.

This one just wasn't my cup of tea. For something similar, I enjoyed "Bookishly Ever After" by Isabel Bandeira and "The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You" by Lily Anderson more.