Just Like the Movies

May 5, 2014
Marijke and Lily don’t have a lot in common. Pretty, popular Marjke is a star athlete whose boyfriend has a band; Lily’s a textbook overachiever and nerd (and she’s single). But when they meet cute at a screening of Titanic, a friendship is born—both girls are frustrated with their current romantic situations. Lily may have a crush on the unattainable Joe Lombardi, but Marijke’s boyfriend is a cavalier flirt who can’t say, “I love you.” And so is born an idea, that, as they say in the movies, “might be just crazy enough to work.” To get the love they want, Lily and Marijke recreate moments from the rom-coms they’ve watched over and over—which is how Marijke ends up on Tommy’s lawn in the middle of the night, blasting Peter Gabriel à la John Cusack in Say Anything. Watching these two high school seniors help each other move out of their respective safety zones is a lot of fun, and Fiore (Taste Test) also works in some girl-power advice about not letting a boy become one’s whole life. Ages 12–up.

April 15, 2014
When Marijke the jock and Lily the nerd join forces to fix their love lives, Fiore lets her fangirl flag fly. Marijke's relationship with rocker Tommy is about to implode, and Lily's liaison with motocross biker Joe has barely gotten off the ground. A twist of fate brings the two girls together at a screening of Titanic, and the duo are inspired to mend their romances with moves taken out of the chick-flick playbook. The ensuing stunts and grand gestures act as markers toward a Better Understanding of Love, a lesson Fiore doesn't oversell. Sure, the lesson's important, but the author is much more interested in giving readers a good time, at which she succeeds. Strong characterization and smart, sarcastic quips move the novel along. The author exhibits her knowledge of the teen-movie genre without getting too reference-heavy or inside-baseball. Most importantly, these characters are just plain likable. They're complex and interesting, and earned sympathy goes a long way toward making the book such an enjoyable read. A sugary romance light on depth but big on charm, Fiore's sophomore novel is a solid entry in the genre it clearly loves. (Romance. 13-17)

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June 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-High school senior Marijke Monti is beautiful, popular, and an all-star track athlete dating Tommy Lawson, the most swoon-worthy boy in school. Lily Spencer is an extraordinary event planner and wallflower who is rarely recognized for her hard work let alone noticed by her forever crush, motocross-god Joe Lombardi. After a series of unfortunate events, the girls accidentally meet at The Coffee Grind and, after sharing their pain, form a pact: With Marijke's impulsiveness and Lily's impeccable organization, the girls will secure both boys as boyfriends and prom dates in the next three weeks. Parallel with the girls' failed and successful schemes is the breakdown of parental role models. Lily's mom is in love with love and cannot keep a man and is probably to blame for her daughter's fear of relationships; while Marijke's parents were high school sweethearts who seem the epitome of true love until Marijke witnesses a series of arguments and finally the shock of divorce. Love isn't always eternal, and that harsh truth is cleverly juxtaposed with the girls' humorous schemes for the perfect '80s movie love story. Fiore's latest novel is sweet enough to make readers want to revisit Lloyd Dobler's iconic romance in the seminal teen film, Say Anything, and plan their own grand gestures of love.-Jamie-Lee Schombs, Loyola School, New York City

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2015
Marijke just wants her boyfriend to say he loves her. Lily just wants a boyfriend. Together the girls decide to take some cues from their favorite romantic movies and try some grand gestures. The cute conceit leaves plenty of room for a deeper story about families, love, friendship, and second chances, all on the way to happily ever after.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)