Sunday, February 27, 2011

REVIEW: Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin

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.


I can't say that I'd heard of this one before it landed in my postbox, but I'm quite glad that I read it, as Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin is a very cute and rather sweet read. I read it very quickly and it was a very enjoyable experience. Thank you to the people of Bloomsbury for sending me this copy for review.

I'm not all that familiar with that many YA books that are co-authored (the one pairing that springs to mind, of course being David Levithan and Rachel Cohn, who I think work together quite nicely), but in this, I thought Franklin and Halpin seamlessly connected the two characters well without any interference into the characters or storyline. We have Charlie and Fielding, two teenager actors who play the roles of Jenna and Jonah on a wholesome family TV show. To boost ratings, the two have been pretending to be a couple despite despising each other. When a news story breaks officially outing the two stars as a fake-couple, they end up in an isolated house away from the paparazzi and learn that both Charlie and Fielding might not hate each other. They might even be falling for each other...

What I liked about this one is that isn't what I was expecting to read when I first started it. I thought it'd be a straight-forward love story with the backdrop of Hollywood and the glamour of being television stars. But instead, the story seemed to develop into a character assessment for both Charlie and Fielding. They each really take a look at their careers and relationships and start piecing together what they want out of life and what's important. While I didn't feel as though there was much chemistry between Charlie and Fielding as a couple, I did love to see both of their transformations throughout the novel.

Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance is a very quick and light read. There are some amusing bits and the idea of a romantic relationship as well as some interesting soul-searching at a Shakespeare Festival in my home-state Oregon (YAY!). Definitely worth a read!


7 comments:

  1. Not the kind of book I usually read, at all, but that does sound quite fun.

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  2. I always worry about these co author books and how they will blend together. I worry that I might not enjoy them, listening to two different voices.

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  3. Thanks for the great review! I have this one and I'm really looking forward to it now. :)

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  4. this sounds like a fun read, I normally don't read books like this but have added it to my TBR

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  5. Ooh! This sounds like a fab and fun read, thanks for a great review :D

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  6. Rachel - It really is fun :)

    Vivienne - I worry about that too, but these two blended together perfectly.

    Kirsty - Yes!

    Luisa - Oh Yay :)

    Book Flame - Excellent news, I hope you find a copy soon!

    Jesse - You're welcome :)

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