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. (From Goodreads)
After having to fake a relationship at the command of their PR reps, it's understandable why Charlie and Fielding (aka Aaron) loathe each other. During an extended vacation taken to hide from the paparazzi, they slowly begin a friendship. Both characters grow to understand each other, and in the process they each learned about themselves, and what they really wanted from their careers. I have to briefly mention my favorite thing about Jenna & Jonah, and that was the Shakespeare! Toward the end of the book, Charlie and Aaron take on parts in the Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing (my personal favorite). So, I was really delighted when I realized that the entire book was much like a mirror of their characters, Beatrice and Benedick. It took me quite some time to pick up on, and it was a nice way to bring in the romance between the two.
I think that my main issue with the book was that it wasn't really long enough to get a little deeper with the characters. Franklin and Halpin seemed to be moving in that direction toward the end of the book, but by that point everything was wrapping up. This wasn't a huge deal breaker for me, but I think it could have taken the book a step above the stereotypical cute YA read.
Overall, it was a fun read that had some funny moments. I did like the characters, the way Much Ado About Nothing was tied in, and thought that the alternating perspectives worked really well with the story. Still, I think that if it had been a little bit longer the authors would have had more time to give more substance to characters.
Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance
By Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin
Published by Walker Books (a division of Bloomsbury)
229 Pages
Rating: C
After having to fake a relationship at the command of their PR reps, it's understandable why Charlie and Fielding (aka Aaron) loathe each other. During an extended vacation taken to hide from the paparazzi, they slowly begin a friendship. Both characters grow to understand each other, and in the process they each learned about themselves, and what they really wanted from their careers. I have to briefly mention my favorite thing about Jenna & Jonah, and that was the Shakespeare! Toward the end of the book, Charlie and Aaron take on parts in the Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing (my personal favorite). So, I was really delighted when I realized that the entire book was much like a mirror of their characters, Beatrice and Benedick. It took me quite some time to pick up on, and it was a nice way to bring in the romance between the two.
I think that my main issue with the book was that it wasn't really long enough to get a little deeper with the characters. Franklin and Halpin seemed to be moving in that direction toward the end of the book, but by that point everything was wrapping up. This wasn't a huge deal breaker for me, but I think it could have taken the book a step above the stereotypical cute YA read.
Overall, it was a fun read that had some funny moments. I did like the characters, the way Much Ado About Nothing was tied in, and thought that the alternating perspectives worked really well with the story. Still, I think that if it had been a little bit longer the authors would have had more time to give more substance to characters.
Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance
By Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin
Published by Walker Books (a division of Bloomsbury)
229 Pages
Rating: C
