Fanfare, By Renee Ahdieh

Cris Pereira hates starring in a cautionary tale. Alas, her recent heartbreak relegates her to this unbecoming fate. The only good thing about being dumped a foot from the altar is the newest layer to her punchy sarcasm. All she wants is a do-over, but this is not your average fairy tale, and wishes don't come true in the real world.

 

One Sunday afternoon, she meets a movie star. Tom Abramson is intelligent, charming, and impetuous. In other words, he plays the role a bit too well. She isn’t falling for it. She knows better. All British men are not descendants of Fitzwilliam Darcy, and movie stars are genetic mutations gone awry: X-Men with statistical disadvantages and emotional handicaps. Keep your knight in shining armor. A modern girl can rescue herself, thank you very much. After all, dreams are for the foolhardy, nightmares are just a part of life, and . . . this is not your average fairy tale.

"It’s anti-capitalistic to love someone”. That is the opening line of this book and from that point, I was hooked. I bought this book several months ago, and since I have found that it’s one of my “go to” books. You know what I’m talking about, when you read a great book that you are feeling a bit hung over from and just need to read something that you know will make you feel like you’ve been wrapped up in a warm blanket. This is one of those books. Total warm blanket.
This is the story of Cris. She’s Latina, she’s sassy, she’s hilarious and she’s just really easy to connect with. By chance, she meets Thomas, who happens to be the Hollywood “it” boy of the moment. He’s British (swoon!) and adorable. He’s a normal guy in extraordinary circumstances. They begin a friendship that’s sweet. It’s not a love at first sight story. You go right along with Cris and Tom as their relationship grows and changes. Like I said…warm blanket.
I find that I’m personally a sucker for the Hollywood Heartthrob meets normal girl story, which I think is because I’ve spend a lot of time fantasizing about Chris Hemsworth. Hey…that could be me. I’ve found, however, that not all Hollywood Heartthrob stories are created equal. “Fanfare” is a thoughtful and beautifully crafted story that I think rises above the rest. It’s not flashy, it’s just the story of two people falling in love…and one of them happens to be famous. And a terrible driver.
Give this book a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. 4.5 stars from me!

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