I had a mixed reaction to this book. I loved the Broadway angle and enjoyed all the musical references. I also liked Jerzie, she was a strong and smart main character that illustrated how hard work and help achieve your dreams. The romance between Jerzie and Zeppelin was cute but it was also one of my issues with the book. Jerzie and Zeppelin go from meeting to love in a matter of pages which was unbelievable. Their relationship was just one of the examples of melodrama that was throughout the book. There is backstabbing, betrayal, and an overblown diva secondary character. It was a little too much to take. Plus, the epilogue wrapped up the story neatly but it felt disjointed from the rest of the novel. However, even with those issues, I acknowledge that teen readers will probably love this book and they will enjoy the overwrought emotions.

First, let's clear some things: Roman and Jewel IS NOT a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. If you're expecting a Leonardo DiCaprio version of the story, then you're going to have a rude awakening. Roman and Jewel is the name of a hip-hopera play the main character, Jerzie Jhames, is cast in. The readers barely see how the showcase turns out because it takes place during rehearsals and is not the story's focal point. Some soft examples mimic teenage love and rivalry in both features but don't expect death to be the final act.

Now that that warning advisory is out of the way, we can talk about the book. I expected more from the story. I figured there would be Broadway cattiness, devious plots to overthrow the leading lady, and a battle to see the best Juliet. Instead, I got a refreshing idea that there doesn't have to be a brutal competition to prove worth. Reading how Jerzie Jhames decided to take the high road and accept her position as a standby showed me that there isn't a stereotype with the competition. She was just happy to be a part of the production. Her entire world is about Broadway, and she gets giddy with excitement when she's in the zone, which makes her adorably goofy.

She gets goofier when she meets Zeppelin. I think their chemistry is cute. Never mind that Jerzie is 16 and Zeppelin is 19 and "in love." Robert Kelly, aka R. Kelly, is in jail for one of these reasons, and entertainment keeps glorifying inappropriate-aged teenage romance as "true love." Even though I don't think they are going to last (trust issues are a huge factor in the story), I believe they have the potential to grow together.

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.


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?


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.)


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.


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.


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.


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!

Another 2 star read for 2021. This is my third 2-star read and it's only January 3rd.

First, let me start off with the major positive: This was a very readable book. The writing was direct, to the point, not overly flowery dribble, and I thought it was paced well. I flew through this book because of the writing. So yes, I'd be curious to read something else from this author in the future.

So why the 2 stars? Because I couldn't get past how unbelievable it was.

Jerzie is a 16 year-old (almost 17 year-old) who is cast as a standby in a new musical on Broadway. The one part that is definitely believable is that although Jerzie was the best actor for the part of Jewel/Juliet, the production decided to cast Cinny, a big name in the music industry, because her name would sell tickets. Happens all the time in both theatre and film.

For me, this story started going off the rails at the get-go because Zeppelin (cast as Roman/Romeo) had immediate heart eyes for Jerzie and apparently didn't care about the fact that she was 16. I understand he wasn't that much older (I think he was 19 - feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), but that is still a line between legal/illegal and I think a new name that was starring in a new play that was bound to be a big deal would actually care about having feelings for a minor. Nothing inappropriate happened, but the insta-love combined with the fact that Jerzie's technically a minor while Zeppelin is an adult did not compute for me.

The rehearsal process for the show seemed realistic enough for me. (And if you're familiar with the actor life in NY, this whole setting is easy to imagine at Ripley-Grier Studios. Seriously.) I actually found the rehearsal stuff and the show itself more interesting than the "love" between Jerzie and Zeppelin. I suppose that's part of the point because they're supposed to mirror Romeo & Juliet which was also love at first sight, but when you put that into a contemporary story that's supposed to feel realistic, it again does not compute.

Now. Onto Bay Ridge. There is a section in here that made me fully roll my eyes. I am familiar with Manhattan. I am familiar with Brooklyn. My family is actually originally from Bay Ridge so I know just how far away it is from Broadway. And the fact that Jerzie's aunt happened to have a meeting in a building that was directly across the street from Zeppelin's family's restaurant was too much for me. Come on. And choosing "Patti LuPone" as your alias? Also unbelievable since that name is also a big freaking deal. Listen, I know that it sounds like I'm nitpicking, but when you're reading detail after detail like this, it just becomes too much.

Now let's move on from here to Jerzie and Zeppelin's "date" - they spontaneously decide to not walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, but to join Zeppelin's friends in Washington Park where Jerzie then proceeds to get high. 16. She's 16. I know 16 year-olds dabble in drugs, but I couldn't look away from the fact that this 19 year-old soon-to-be star in a musical thought it was a good idea to let his 16 year-old date get high in public. So much yikes.

And then there's Cinny. Cinny sucks. Hardcore sucks. She's supposed to suck so job well done there, but the amicable chat between Cinny & Jerzie at the end was just nuts after all Cinny did. And I call bull on the Cosmo quiz - Cinny, you're totally a sociopath.

Okay I honestly don't think that was a brutal review. I liked the writing itself, but I think I outlined why I just couldn't get behind the story. All of that being said, because of how quickly I zipped through this one, I think I'd try this author again in the future.

Roman and Jewel is a Broadway show I would 100% love to see in real life but the book itself wasn't exactly what I expected. I know next to nothing when it comes to musical theatre so I was hoping it would focus more on that element and Jerzie's rapid rise to fame with the romance being a secondary thing. Instead this had a lot more drama then I was expecting and it didn't quite work for me.
Despite this fact though this book was good. I liked the main character and while the romance wasn't perfect it was sweet enough for me to ship. Like I said, as someone who knows next to nothing about Broadway/West end/anything to do with musical theatre the mentions of famous productions, songs, personal went completely over my head but I think if you are a theatre kid you could get more enjoyment from this book.

If not for the off-color language throughout this would make a good teen Hallmark movie. Don’t get me wrong, I like Hallmark movies because they are so predictable and you know from the beginning there will be a happy ever after ending. This was that sort of story. Some of the characters were overly cliched, particularly Cinny, the overly pampered prima donna superstar actress, and there wasn’t a lot of depth to the story with “problems” quickly wrapped up with a neat little bow (Jerzie’s arrest and almost instantaneous release and welcome back with open arms.) This was an enjoyable read if you only want a diversion to escape a bit from everyday life. Thanks to netgalley for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Not your usual Romeo and Juilet retelling.

Roman and Jewel is an interesting take on a behind the scenes view of a Broadway show. As the rehearsal starts, you meet Jerzie Jhames. As an up and coming actress, she has been cast as the understudy for a much more known Star named Cinny in the role of Jewel. What Jerzie didn't expect was to meet the boy of her dreams and have him cast as Roman.

Just when things begin to look up, the star crossed theme the musical is based on begins to become Jerzies real life. Sometimes life truly does imitate art and you have to take risks for love.


I loved this story even more than I had expected to. It starts off on a strong note and it becomes so hard to put down. I liked the idea of the modern writings used to make Hamilton but then added to the classic tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. The author wrote parallels between the theme of the play and the characters situations in an enjoyable way. This novel has the perfect amount of drama and romance for the targeted audience without being too much that it becomes annoying.
Its hard not to crack a smile or laugh at someone of the situations woven into the plot, in a very good way. Roman and Jewel is an enjoyable, lighthearted and comedic romance that most adult fans should check out.

After auditioning for the lead in Roman and Jewel, a modern hip-hopera reimagining of Romeo and Juliette, sixteen-year-old Jerzie Jhames thinks she’s finally getting her big break on Broadway. Until she finds out that fame-obsessed superstar Cinny has snagged the titular role instead, and Jerzie is stuck as her understudy. To make matters worse, Jerzie may have a small crush on the actor playing Roman: the unfairly handsome and talented Zeppelin Reid, whom Cinny has claimed for herself. But when a viral video catches Jerzie and Zepp rehearsing together, setting Cinny off in the process, these two star-crossed lovers may just have their careers—and hearts—on the line.

Broadway fans and Romeo and Juliet connoisseurs unite, because Roman and Jewel is set to be your new obsession. With plenty of musical references, romantic motorcycle rides, and one endearing and ambitious heroine, Dana L. Davis delivers a show tunes-infused YA romance that only left me wishing that Roman and Jewel was a real thing—make it happen, Broadway! And while Jerzie and Zeppelin shine together, I have to mention my absolute favorite secondary character, the equally hilarious and kick-butt Aunt Karla, who was always there to offer spot-on advice or crack a joke or two. Exploring fame, family, and young love, Roman and Jewel is a swoony read about finding your voice and following your heart.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

I really wanted to like this book, I'm typically a sucker for a Romeo and Juliet retelling, but this book was just not my cup of tea. I fairly quickly found myself annoyed with the narrator, Jerzie Jhames, and struggling to get through the book. I read closely for 55% of the book and skimmed through the eARC for the rest of the book because I still couldn't connect with the story or the narrator.

Jerzie felt very immature, more immature than her age of sixteen, turning seventeen would have led me to expect her to be. She's constantly making the worst possible decisions for herself, including doing illegal things to try to impress the 19-year old that she's in instant love, despite the fact that those actions are still illegal for him too.

The love triangle as the main conflict of the story disappointed me as a reader hoping for a plot that mirrored Romeo and Juliet at least as much as the musical within the novel did. If the musical didn't exist as the foil for the story's narrative, I would never have guessed that this was supposed to be a modern Romeo and Juliet retelling. The introduction of Zeppelin was super cheesy and relied on super stereotypical cliches, such as describing his eyes as extremely blue, but using three totally different types of blue to describe his eyes, and focusing on how he smells to the main character, this went on for a long enough time of describing how perfect he was that it made me uncomfortable to read.

The author's focus on grounding this story as explicitly happening around this time in pop culture felt heavy-handed to me and I feel will lead to the novel feeling almost immediately dated as a contemporary novel. The constant remarks on current broadway shows and pop stars made it so that the book is definitely grounded in the current, but also that in just a few years, people may have no idea what is being referred to other than probably Hamilton, and it honestly may have been better to just make up show names, and celebrity names if they needed to be used at all.

I'm sure that the right audience for this book is out there, but for me, it just didn't click.

Roman and Jewel was a fun read that didn't go quite as I expected. I thought Jerzie would end up taking over the role after Cinny had to leave the show and the fame would go to her head. And that's not exactly what happened.

Jerzie James is a talented teen who can sing, dance, and compose music. She's such a theatre geek and the obvious role for Jewel. However as a newcomer she just doesn't have the star power the producers think they need to sell this musical. But R&B superstar Cinny has the name. So she's cast as super star Cinny's understudy. Jerzie takes it so she'll be able to make a little money and get a chance to be behind the scenes of a Broadway show. Who knows what this opportunity could lead to? Plus the leading man Zeppelin just might be the boy of her dreams.

It's a fast paced book and a really cute romance for teens. Sometimes I pick up YA books that I feel are for everyone and sometimes I pick up YA that I feel is for adults. It's a little rarer lately when I pick up YA I think teen me or the teens I know would gush over. This has so many pop culture references they'll recognize and enjoy This is one of those love at first sight, fall hard and fast type of romance stories. They both adore music and they really have their hearts into this show. And you could clearly tell Dana L. Davis did her research when it came to Broadway.

A modern theatrical Romeo and Juliet retelling, inside of a modern Romeo and Juliet retelling. Roman and Jewel is the updated HFN version of this story that I didn’t realize that I needed. Everyone knows that I’m a sucker for tragedy and angst, but Roman and Jewel provides a bit of both while still being a fun YA contemporary romance.

We meet Jerzie Jhames as a normal teen. Well a normal teen about to be in a Broadway production, who is an insanely talented singer, and has an incredible knowledge of music theory. What she doesn’t know is that her role in Roman and Jewel is going to bring her to the love of her life. Yes, this book has young instalove, BUT it is a Romeo and Juliet retelling, what were you expecting to happen here? While the love story and the obstacles in the way of Jerzie and her Roman run loosely parallel to the original story, the rest of Jerzie’s path from normal talented girl to IG celebrity and Broadway famous is it’s very own. There’s a modern day villain subplot, a bit of mystery, and so much growth from our heroine. She struggles with jealousy, first time love, making her family and herself proud, and the decisions of what life path she should ultimately take.

This book is honestly just sweet, and I enjoyed that there is representation in this book that feels real and natural. The theatre plot throughout the story isn’t as heavy as one may think, but I do love the world that was built, and the characters that we are given because of the world it’s set in. So if you’re not a big theatre/musical geek, you’ll still enjoy this read. I also loved that Jerzie was having her own coming of age during this read. She learned things about herself and her family, while falling in love and doing what she loves.

My only complaint is one that’s a bit spoiler-y, so I’m going to leave it vague. I didn’t like the way one of the characters was portrayed a bit poorly. That being said even though I have that complaint, by the end of the story I understood WHY the author made that move with certain characters, so while it made me sort of sad/upset in the moment I eventually appreciated it because it left room for growth and it truly shines through in the end as a connection between two of the characters we are following. One of those moments when you recognize your differences, but you see your similarities with someone as well. A good reminder that people are imperfect and characters are allowed to be as well. It makes them more well rounded.

All in all this was a great YA read. I’d highly recommend it if you like that “young girl gets her chance to live her dreams”, modern retellings, or just YA romance in general.

I will legit read anything R+J related, but throw in some Hamilton and I’m beyond sold.

I really liked Jerzie. She’s talented and smart and her passion for music coupled with her love for Broadway musicals was one of the best things to read. Zeppelin had potential, but he’s tempered through Jerzie’s love struck slash obsessed eyes, so it didn’t seem like we really got to know him. Oh, and Aunt Karla stole every scene she was in.

Plot wise, all insta-love, barely any musical, and a very liberal splash of drama. Everything with Cinny could have been resolved with a 5 minute conversation and after the horrible things she did, the 2 page redemption arc felt trite and insincere.

Overall, it was a great idea and a quick read. I would have loved just a bit more to really flesh out the story, but this small slice of time was quite entertaining to read.

**Huge thanks to Inkyard Press for providing the arc free of charge**

A cute retelling of Romeo and Juliet….but I think I am just way too old to really appreciate the book. I am guessing the market the book is aimed at will have much more appreciation for it. The diversity in the story was very welcomed.

This book was Romeo and Juliet inception; a retelling of Romeo and Juliet where the main characters are in a play about Romeo and Juliet. And I was totally here for it!! Humor, heart, and raw energy come together to create this beautiful book. It is an absolute must-read of 2021!

Can I start with the romance? I'm going to start with the romance. I wish I could copy + paste a million heart eye emojis here. Jerzie and Zepplin were so cute together. There is a bit of insta-love/love at first sight (because it's a retelling of Romeo and Juliet), but it wasn't too bad. I'm normally not really a fan of the insta-love trope, but I was okay with this one. There was enough time to get to know them both and get to know them together so I was okay with it.

Also, the humor in this book was top notch. Jerzie, the main character, was such a big part of bringing in the humor. She had so much energy and a passion for music and theater and often showed it in funny ways. As well, her little freak-outs and overall thought process were really funny to me. I loved being inside her head for this story.

Aunt Karla was another lovable and hilarious character. Although she was a side character, she still played a big role in Jerzie's life and in the plot. I loved getting to know her and hearing her side comments and advice about Jerzie's life.

I really don't have too much more to say about this book. The plot was well-paced, the conflict was great, the characters were loveable (and will be missed) so it was an automatic high-rated book for me.

2.5 stars.

I was so so thrilled for this book - it was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 - and unfortunately, it just fell so flat for me. I couldn't connect with any of the characters, in fact, I was very uncomfortable with the fact that the MC is 16/17 and her love interest is 19. 3 years may not seem like a big difference, but it is when one of them is under 18. Our MC also came off as so naive and a bit ungrateful for the incredible opportunity that she was given, which as someone who has devoted their entire life to theatre and would do anything to work on Broadway in any way, was incredibly frustrating.

The most interesting aspect of the entire book was the musical, and there was so little of it. Then what there was of the rehearsal process seemed very unrealistic that it had me rolling my eyes the entire time.

I had wanted so badly to enjoy this book, and unfortunately, I did not.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Title: Roman and Jewel
Author: Dana L. Davis
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

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.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read! Great characters, strong yet flawed, who make mistakes I can sympathize with. Jerzie was a lot of fun to read, even when she was making bad decisions, and I liked how her relationship with Zepp grew. I also liked that Cinny wasn’t a complete cliché. Solid writing and strong, diverse characters made this an excellent read.

Dana L. Davis lives in L.A. Roman and Jewell is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 1/6.)

ARC provided by NetGalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the premise I was ready to LOVE this. As a theatre kid I was super excited to have a novel set in that world and thought combining Romeo & Juliet with Hamilton was interesting. But unfortunately that’s not exactly what we got.

The references to other musicals (and music in general) is great. But I wish this had been more about Roman + Jewel and less about everything else. And honestly I didn’t love the art imitating life moments of Jerzie, her family, and Zeppelin. The reform of one character seemed, well out of character, and wasn’t believable either. It all wrapped up too nicely, like a 30-minute sitcom that always managed to resolve even the biggest problems before the episode ended.

But I did enjoy reading this, and if nothing else it’s made me want to listen to my favorite musicals again.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll admit that this is not the book I thought I’d be reading when I picked it up, but once I started I couldn’t stop! I literally flew through this read and enjoyed it for the most part. It’s definitely a YA novel so if reading young adult books isn’t your thing, you may want to skip this one. The teen drama is dramatic, fast, and a little all over the place, but then again wasn’t the original Romeo and Juliet the same way? Romeo and Juliet’s relationship was intense, immediate, electric and everything escalates so quickly and I think that Roman & Jewel captures that perfectly.

Despite the title of the book, this is really a story about Jerzie and Zeppelin, teenagers who are extremely passionate about Broadway and musicals. Jerzie’s been striving to be on Broadway for 10 years and on the summer on her 17th birthday she’s finally made it…sort of. Though she was told she’s perfect for the lead in the new Hamilton-esque Romeo and Juliet musical Roman & Jewel, she doesn’t have the big name that the higher ups think is necessary to garner attention for the show. She instead, she’s cast as the standby for superstar Cinny. By the time she’s supposed to begin coming to rehearsals the cast has already known one another for weeks and it seems like her dream isn’t all it was cracked up to be. Her first day is a whirlwind and to make it even crazier she literally runs into the lead actor for Roman, Zeppelin. She’s instantly drawn to him in a way that makes no sense, but then when does young love ever make sense. It turns out that he feels the exact same way, which is hard for her to believe. She’s determined to stay away from him because obviously everyone on set is in love with him too right? But Jerzie is the only one that Zeppelin wants to open up to. It’s actually pretty cute.

I do think the synopsis above is a little misleading. The conflict of the video link isn’t who should play Jewel. In reality, it’s about who the hell leaked the video and the drama caused by the superstar Cinny herself, who isn’t as likable as her fans, including Jerzie, may think. Obviously I won’t give any spoilers, but the bottom line is Cinny’s a bitch and Jerzie is a sweetheart. There’s also the little tidbit of Jerzie and Zeppelin coming together and trying to navigate this thing called love at first sight. Honestly is it a bit much at times? Sure. But sometimes overly dramatic, not always sensible, what in the world is going on situations are just what the doctor ordered okay. I will say that there’s an incident towards the end that is complete soap opera gold and I loved it okay.

There is a subplot about Zeppelin’s family history that may be triggering for some. It involves parental suicide and at one point Jerzie is afraid that Zeppelin may be contemplating suicide as well because of story events and what another character tells her. I just want to make sure you’re aware of it before going in, just in case.

Finally, let me admit that my favorite characters in this story were not Jerzie or Zeppelin. Nope that honor went Jerzie’s Aunt Karla. Sis was HILARIOUS. I just want to be friends with her because she had me laughing out loud the entire book.

All in all I think this is definitely worth the read and don’t Black YA readers deserve something that doesn’t take itself to seriously and is a good quick read? I think so. Be sure to give it a go when it gets released on January 7, 2021!

The plot is a cheesy, tooth-rotting sweet love story and that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be! It’s a lovely homage to what is possibly the most famous love story ever written in the English language. I also appreciated that the plot moved quickly and kept me turning the pages.

As for the characters, well, Jerzie is perfect. I would not change a thing about her. She avoids all the issues I have with YA heroines: she’s diverse, she’s smart, she stands up for herself, and she makes mistakes that every teenager would make in her position.

Zeppelin, on the other hand, is a little too perfect, and it wasn’t really clear how old he was. He’s definitely older than Jerzie, a legal adult in fact, but how much older? When he was first introduced, I imagined him as around 20, but then he and Jerzie started flirting…she’s only 16, so I was a little uncomfortable.

Now to talk about the writing. First, I thought that Jerzie (the first-person narrator) had a strong voice and she’s exactly what was needed. Overall, the writing, in my opinion, needs some polish, but this is an advanced copy so I’m sure a polish will be done. The author makes several allusions to modern performers, which is fine, but the lead character compares her physical appearance to Lupita Nyong’o (gorgeous) and her voice to Sia. I would much prefer the author describe those things with details—show not tell.

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely! In fact, I’m ordering a copy for my class library because I’m sure my theatre and English students will love it as much as I did.

Roman and Jewel is about Jerzie, an understudy in Broadway’s newest Romeo and Juliet hit. She is cast as the standby to the lead role, and ends up falling for the actor playing Roman, Zeppelin. They immediately hit it off especially after their recorded kiss (when Jerzie fills in for the lead) gets leaked as well as the lead’s, Cinny, lack of acting skills. But like most Romeo and Juliet retellings, things never stay happy forever and they’re hit with a multitude of obstacles specifically Cinny.

I was very surprised by the plot, it was not what I had expected but it was very interesting to read all of the different plotwtists. Roman and Jewel has several side characters which give wonderful advice, are hilarious, and very strong advocates for Jerzie.

Despite being advertised as a Romeo and Juliet retelling, I would not say that the play itself was a huge part of the plot. As someone who has almost no knowledge of anything related to theatre, this was something that I had no complaints about.

My biggest complaint is the romance between Jerzie and Zeppelin. I am not someone who likes insta-love ships and in this case, it felt very insta love like to the point that they were obsessed with one another. On top of that, Zeppelin is 18/19 meanwhile Jerzie is 16/17 and this becomes very apparent in how they react to certain things. There were a few times in which Jerzie asked for him to stop treating her like a kid but despite being a brilliant and talented star, she is still very much a child and does act according to her age. I liked their interactions between their friends and family but just not them as a couple, if they were the same age then it wouldn’t have been a problem but Zeppelin is written as the “bad boy” meanwhile Jerzie is the sweet innocent girl so I just was not a fan.

Outside of the romance, I did enjoy this book and it was very entertaining to read. All the plotwists were unique and well written. I would definitely suggest this to any romance, fluff, and theatre/music fans.

Trigger warnings: Suicide, death of parent, Harry Potter