dearrivarie: February 2023

This Time It's Real opens with a dedication to all the cynics who still secretly believe in love - and as a self-proclaimed cynic...darn it this book was just simply adorable. Eliza Lin is incredibly relatable and this has to be one of the first "dating a celebrity" (y/n) type of story where I found myself actively invested in the relationship.

isbn: 978-1338827118 pages: 352
publication date: February 07, 2023 | source: physical / tour
genre: young adult, contemporary, romance
rating: 6.6/10

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After reading Ann Liang's debut If You Could See the Sun, I knew that I had to read more of her works because the way relationships and characters are developed had my heart absolutely fluttering. This Time It’s Real follows Eliza Lin who writes a seemingly harmless essay about a not-so-real relationship only to find herself catapulted into internet stardom when it goes viral. Her newfound popularity lands her an internship at one of the most prestigious publications where one recommendation letter could boost her budding writing career. The only catch - they want more articles about her “boyfriend” and she does let actually have one. When Eliza overhears rising actor Caz Song on the phone with his mother about his lack of college essays, she proposes a bargain that might help both of them.

Have I mentioned the sheer serotonin that this book gave me? With her sophomore novel, Liang was able to focus on building the relationships between her characters providing readers with top-tier adorable moments. After spending most of her life moving cities because of her mom's job, Eliza has built up a lot of reservations towards people and her budding romance with Caz sets off all the alarm. Underneath his actor-charm is a boy worried about chasing his dreams and disappointing his parents and with each date they spend together, the feelings only grow. With the exploration of first love and defining what it means to call a place home, Eliza slowly begins to rebuild her trust towards others and herself - giving herself the opportunity to find her place in the world.

thank you so much to Ann Liang, Colored Pages Tours, and Scholastic Press for a chance to be part of this tour! be sure to check out all the other amazing stops by clicking the banner!