Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston

The quick cut: A teen girl struggling with college applications accidentally destroys a rare book and works in a guys library to pay off the debt. She falls in love with a Hollywood hunk hiding out after a bad situation.

A real review:

Everyone loves a good success story but one with a happy ending? Even better. For book lover Rosie, the aim is to find a way to write her college essay without being a stereotypical applicant.

Rosie is stuck in so many ways. She's stuck writing her college essay to the school of her dreams, NYU. She's stuck mourning the loss of her mom without the books she used to love together. She's trying to navigate the future and failing to figure out a way forward. When a wayward dog on the way home leads her to entering a typically empty home and accidentally ruining a rare book, she agrees to organize their library to pay back the ruined book. She crosses paths with Hollywood star Vance, who is angry after being left to this small town to hide out. Can these two find a way forward together? Or rip each other apart?

This story is fairly clearly a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. While it is cute and has it's memorable moments, it fails to be unique enough to set itself apart from it's origin story.

Rosie is a book geek who has had her entire life upended and wants to follow the college path her mom did. She's trying so hard to honor her mom that she's failing to live her life in the present. Loss is hard at any age, but it's even more intense when it happens as a teenager.

Vance is a complicated guy. His dad died at a young age and even though he is famous, he feels like all he does is ruin opportunities and disappoint his family. He just wants to turn 18 and live without the people who expect better of him.

These two bond over their shared struggles, each one unsure of the future they want. Together, they at first are enemies, but slowly become romantically involved. Seeing that journey puts a smile on your face, even if it could have had a better build up.

A contemporary romance that fails to be unique enough from the original story.

My rating: 3.75 out of 5