The Boy Next Story: A Bookish Boyfriends Novel (Bookish Boyfriends, #2)

by Tiffany Schmidt

This is the second title in a paperback original series about a girl whose classic literary crushes manifest in real life, this time told from Rory Campbell’s point of view and inspired by the timeless classic Little Women. Rory likes Toby, but Toby likes Rory’s sister Merrilee, even though Merrilee is already dating Toby’s friend Fielding—and it’s all about to get even more complicated at Reginald R. Hero High . . . where our leading ladies’ romantic fantasies come true, often with surprising consequences. Perfect for younger readers of YA or older readers of middle grade, this squeaky-clean series is sure to charm any reader who’s ever had a book boyfriend of her own.
 

• ISBN13: 9781419734366
• Publish Date: 21 May 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Abrams
• Imprint: Amulet Books
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 448
• Language: English
• URL: https://abramsandchronicle.co.uk/book/the-boy-next-story-a-bookish-boyfriends-novel/

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

We are back at Hero High for another adorable installment of Bookish Boyfriends. This book focused on the youngest Campbell sister, Rory. And you see: Rory liked Toby, but Toby liked Merri, and Merri, very much so, loved Fielding. Yes! We are dealing with several cases of unrequited love here, but with the right book recommendations from their sort of magical English teacher, both Rory and Toby were able to tackle the issues of their hearts.

As with the previous book, Schmidt gives us a great heroine to cheer for, and I was especially behind her, because of all the personal struggles she was experiencing. First, she was enamored with someone, who didn't really see her, and that had to hurt. Then, she was constantly being left behind by her two older sisters, and that exclusion left her very wounded. As if that was not enough to deal with, the one place where Rory usually found her bliss, art class, was becoming a war zone, and her less than stellar grades might keep her from an amazing artistic experience. My heart genuinely ached for her, because it seemed like Rory just couldn't catch a break. But as with all books I enjoy, Rory went on a personal journey. She made some changes to her life, thanks to a few literary recommendations, and good things started to happen for her, especially because she started to realize her own worth.

As with the pervious installment, this one featured storylines from two classics - The Great Gatsby and Little Women. I did like the way that Schmidt wove these books into the plot, but as with the last book, I liked the second storyline more than the first, and felt like the first part could have been trimmed a bit.

Still, it was a delight watching Rory enjoy some success. Her trip to NYC was rather wonderful, and I can't complain about the way that trip ended. The romance was terribly sweet and adorable, which is what I expected from Schmidt, but what really played a big part in my enjoyment of this book were the family dynamics.

Though this was a romance, the relationship between the three Campbell sisters earned a lot of attention, and you know what I love? I love a great sibling bond. These three young women were very different from on another, and expressed themselves in very different ways, but it was the synergy they had a group, that made them unstoppable. It was fantastic to see them working through their various issues together, and I thought the pairing with Little Women was a really smart move.

Overall: Another solid edition to the series. It was fun, cute, and entertaining with some good messaging and a wonderful family focus.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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