I was first intrigued by the idea of this story, because the idea of being love with a celebrity and dreaming of making him my own is a fantasy that I think most of us have had for a long time. And that magical moment when you finally get to meet your idol is one that you can never replace. I've done that before. But it actually turning into a romantic encounter? Sure, I've read a lot of rock star romances, but never one at the YA level. So of course, I had to give this one a go.
I feel sorry for Cecily at first. She does have some confidence in there, but it is currently pushed way down with her introverted tendencies. You can see it hovering just under the surface. I think her boyfriend Zach is a tool who is too hung up on his ex-girlfriend, always comparing Cecily to Tanna, though he definitely has a lot on his plate at home. Other people are always comparing Cecily to Tanna. And I may just have a Tanna thing leftover from my own high school days.
Her friend Harlow is also annoying. I can't stand those girls who think they are greater than everyone else and belittle everyone around them. Her other friends seem to like to rip on her for her interests and choices in life. Poor Cecily just wants to fit in for the most part and allows people to pretty much walk all over her, but is slowly starting to hold onto her personal beliefs.
But then when she goes to the audition with Harlow to be in Andrew Holiday's new video, merely as moral support, and ends up being chose by Andrew himself to be in the video because of who she truly is, things begin to change for her. She learns how to be comfortable in her own skin and what it means to truly have a connection with another person on a deeper level than the usual superficial level. She has so much more maturity than the other girls in her life, which helps explain why this massive rock star pays attention to her.
I think more readers will identify with Cecily's struggles as an introverted teenager trying to make her way in this world than they think they will. I think that Andrew in indicative of what a lot of girls want in their boyfriend, even when you take out the celebrity status. He is real with depth and emotions and maturity, which is what makes for a better relationship in the long run as it is.
I appreciate how this is a clean romance and just felt more realistic than a lot of other YA romances, even though Cecily is doing the unthinkable in starting a relationship with her favorite singer. I understand there is a sequel to the book and I look forward to checking it out.