If We Were a Movie was cute, and I think would resonate a lot with younger readers. I struggled a little bit with how stilted all of the dialogue was, even knowing that they are all trying to sound “smart.” I think the biggest reason I didn’t love this was because it’s written for a younger demographic & it definitely came off that way.

This was a fun story with a cool premise. I think it’s perfect for younger readers, but was an overall average read for me.

This story is so adorable!! I love seeing children be children, while also preparing for the future/the world beyond them being in grade school. That is exactly what Rochelle is doing. Then there is Amira, plus other characters, who are there to remind Rochelle that she can do both, be a child and prepare for the future!

I really want to purchase this and reread it!! Thank you for allowing me to read this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing an advanced copy for an honest review.

This one was super cute. If We Were a Movie is one of those feel-good reads that’s perfect when you want something light but still has a bit of heart. Rochelle is your classic high-achieving teen—she’s aiming for Wharton and thinks landing a job will help her college apps. So, naturally, she ends up working at a movie theater… which just so happens to be run by her academic rival, Amira. Cue awkward vibes, banter, and some surprisingly sweet chemistry.

The whole thing has this laid-back, summery feel—kind of like watching an indie rom-com with your best friend. I liked that the story had real moments of friendship and family stuff mixed in with the romance. And the setting—a quirky, Black-owned theater—made it feel unique and cozy. It doesn’t try to be overly dramatic or deep, and that’s kind of the beauty of it. Just a fun, queer teen romance with characters you actually want to root for. Not too heavy, not too fluffy. Just right.

If you’re in the mood for something soft, a little nostalgic, and totally charming, this is worth picking up.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really cute, fun book. I enjoyed reading it a lot!

This story was cute, but unfortunately something about it was really lacking in depth and substance. I enjoyed the friend group and each of the characters individually, but I didn't feel any romantic chemistry between the two FMC's. That being said though, this was a super easy to binge read and I enjoyed my time reading it!

This was a cute story between Rochelle and Amari! I really liked seeing their characters develop and where the story went. I thought it was an adorable book.

This was such an adorable and loving story. Rochelle and Amari were childhood friends, past events separated them, and became slight rivals before resuming their friendship and then becoming lovers. I really enjoyed their growth and how the story progressed between them. And Kudos to the author for having a Black owned movie theatre as the backdrop to the story. There's not too many of those. The entire story was so sweet and wholesome and gave me all the cute feels while reading. The author has become one of my new auto buy authors.

I received a copy f the book via the Publisher and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my thoughts and opinions

If We Were a Movie is a sweet, pop-culture-soaked romance that feels like a Netflix rom-com in book form. The story is upbeat and fun, with just enough heart to balance all the cute banter and cinematic moments. Perfect for when you need something that will leave you smiling.

This was really cute and enjoyable! I loved the "enemies" to friends to lovers angle in the story. And I enjoyed seeing this fun cast of characters team up to save the movie theater.

I loved this book! I loved the friends-turned-enemies to lovers. It felt modern & youthful but not enough that in will feel dated in five years. It’s the perfect read for a summer afternoon!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts <3

Every single time I read this title I sing the Hannah Montana song in my head, and if that's not good marketing I don't know what is. If We Were a Movie is a YA sapphic romance between former childhood friends turned rivals. The single POV follows Rochelle, who's more focused on getting into Wharton and following in her parent's footsteps than having the "typical" high school experience. She's desperate to find a job to boost her college application, but no one seems to be hiring; until, she gets a random call from Horizon Cinemas. Things are finally starting to go her way. Then, boom, her supervisor is Amira (the last person she'd ever want to work with). Now that they have to spend all this time together, it's impossible for Rochelle to push her true feelings down.

This is a sweet, low stakes romance. Everything works out in the end for Horizon and Rochelle. There's also a bit of a mystery (a very, very small bit). I had fun. I'm intrigued to see where Zakiya N. Jamal goes from here. I'd love to get a bit more emotional depth in the future. Overall, a good read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for early access to this title in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Such a sweet, wholesome book that I throughly enjoyed so
much! Rochelle’s growth as a character was well done in my opinion as you see her focus shift from solely working towards her academic goals to letting her friends (ones she’s had since she was young to new!) be a bigger part of her life and recognizing that her upcoming career and college isn’t entirely what life is about. I would have to say that seeing Rochelle develop these new friendships as well as growing her relationship with Amira was my favorite aspect of this story; it was so nice to see her happiness grow throughout this book!

As a huge fan of Leah Johnson and coming-of-age stories, this book was a delightful and sweet story to read! It had everything that I love about YA: fun banter, a lovable ensemble cast of characters, and a cute enemies-to friends-to lovers romance.

This is such cute teen book I loved the found family, the chemistry and how black it is. Most importantly I love how it highlights black history and the their contributions to theater. If you liked Forever on Netflix I think you would wat up this book. Most importantly I love how everyone was written our main FMC Rochelle felt like a teenager who has big dreams and determine to get into her dream college. There were times I wish I finals jump in the book and hug her and tell her it’s was going to be ok.

This was such a sweet and lovely story about two rivals to lovers. I really enjoyed the setting of a Black owned theater where a bunch of different teens work together during the summer. I had this experience as a kid, and this brought back so many memories. The author is definitely a millennial because there were so many phrases and things written by a millennial. But the experience of working in a small movies theater was totally on point for this millennial.

This was a really cute YA book. I was super invested from the beginning. The authors writing really kept my attention. The plot was good but kinda predictable and towards the end, it did became slow. I loved Rochelle and her mom’s relationship. The romance and just the overall book was very realistic which I loved.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC

If We Were a Movie follows Rochelle who gets a job at a black-owned movie theater to help her college application stand out. However, she realizes her academic rival and nemesis works there as well. As they work together, their relationship starts to change.

I wanted to read this book because the movie theater setting seemed fun and I was interested in the mystery aspect. The setting was one of my favorite parts. This book made me want to visit my local movie theater this summer. However, there wasn’t a lot to the mystery aspect and it was a little obvious.

One thing I really liked was the friend group. I liked the way the friend group interacted with each other. It was fun to see how they worked together and got to know each other. I also really liked each character.

One thing I wish there was more of was a development between Rochelle and Amira. I was excited to see their romance develop throughout the story but their relationship did not feel developed enough. I wanted to see more of how their relationship changed. The change from hating each other to liking each other felt sudden.

Overall, I would recommend this book to someone looking for a fun teen summer romance with a cool friend group.

If We Were a Movie was a cute read!

I thought it was a great set-up and enjoyed both the romance and the mystery throughout the book. Zakiya N. Jamal did a great job when writing the interactions between all the characters—it really felt like it was a direct transcript from a group of high schoolers at time.

That being said, I didn't think the romance was quite as strong as it could have been? In the build up, in the actual getting together, it felt about 75% there. It just needed a little extra push, a little extra oomph. I also did find the mystery a bit predictable, but it was fun enough that I was able to excuse it.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read!

Mira and Rochelle were absolutely adorable characters, and this is the kind of book I wish I’d had as a teen. The story is full of meaningful representation—the girls are both queer POC, and the setting centers around a Black-owned movie theater that's deeply rooted in their community. As they team up to try and save the theater, they grow closer, realizing they have more in common than they expected.

I need more stories like this. This is a book that I wish I had during high school. I related to Rochelle’s drive to get top grades in school and that she worked at a Black-owned movie theater. The mystery part of it was cute too. This was a fun read and I bet young adults will enjoy it.