Review by Booklist Review
Culbertson freshens up a well-worn setup in this surprisingly sensitive romance between a small-town girl who hates the spotlight and a Hollywood heartthrob in a downward spiral. Seventeen-year-old Carter loves her hometown of Little, California, and has no plans to leave, despite her promise as a dancer. She is happy working in her family's diner, teaching dance at the senior center, and looking out for her brother, whose gambling addiction has cost their family much. Unlike her starstruck friend Chloe, Carter is indifferent to the movie being filmed in Little and its ridiculously beautiful star, Adam Jakes, who is as famous for his bad-boy antics as his acting. Adam is interested in her, however or his manager is. He wants to hire Carter to pose as Adam's girlfriend to help clean up his image, and with her brother's gambling debt looming, she accepts. It's not hard to imagine what happens next, but Culbertson excels at crafting sympathetic, believable characters and situations, eschewing reality-show-style drama in favor of a light touch and an emotionally satisfying resolution.--Hutley, Krista Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Nothing ever happens in Little, Calif.-nothing, that is, until a famous movie star comes to town to shoot a film. Much to Carter Moon's dismay: she would much rather have her small town back and be done with all the Hollywood nonsense. It means nothing to her. Unlike her best friend Chloe, who knows all about young Adam Jakes, a child star gone wrong who has infiltrated the town, and soon Carter's life. Adam's people want to clean up his battered image, and a young, wholesome girlfriend from town seems like just the thing to accomplish it. They offer Carter an obscene amount of money to pose as Adam's girlfriend while he stays. Carter needs the money, and doesn't care a whit about Adam until they start spending more time with each other. Is he just another pretty Hollywood face or a real guy Carter could actually fall for? Spencer has an excellent voice for Carter-young and innocent yet mature and skeptical. There are occasions when Spencer misses an opportunity to realize Carter's utter disdain for the celebrity lifestyle that would have resulted in a laugh and deeper insight to Carter's dilemma about becoming a cog in the Hollywood machine. A Scholastic hardcover. Ages 12-up. A Scholastic/Point hardcover. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-Not much happens in Little, California, most of the time, but this summer is bound to be different. Teen idol Adam Jakes is arriving to film a movie. His manager meets 17-year-old Carter Moon and thinks the wholesome small-town girl could help repair Jakes's sullied image and he asks her to pose as his girlfriend. Carter is not interested but finally agrees to the plan to earn some much-needed money for her family. Carter is a smart, contented young woman, and Adam is the worldly outsider. What starts out as a PR stunt turns into a romance. But how can their different worlds coexist? This far-fetched tale ends up shining owing to the strong, grounded characters and will be a fun summer listen for teens who have an interest in the romantic. Narrator Erin Spencer brings credibility to the entire cast of characters. The plot does slow down in spots but not enough to distract young listeners. Andrew Eiden voices the blog entries, making them pop. This audiobook will delight those who are looking for a great beach listen.-Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
When small-town girl Carter is hired to pose as a movie star's girlfriend for the summer, she finds it more and more difficult to determine where the false relationship ends and real emotion begins. A predictable plot is kept fresh by tight writing, an evocative setting, and warm, relatable characters. Carter's relationship with her compulsive-gambler brother is especially well rendered. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
When a movie company comes to shoot in a picturesque California town, the movie star's manager pays a local girl to pose as the star's girlfriend in this heartfelt romance. Seventeen-year-old Carter happily works in her family's small cafe in Little, Calif. Although she's a talented dancer, she has no ambition to leave her beautiful town, and she certainly doesn't care about movie stars. Carter's brother, John, has become a compulsive gambler, plunging the family into debt, so despite her disdain for Hollywood, Carter can't resist the large sum of money troubled teen star Adam Jakes' manager offers her. Naturally, as they spend time together on their mock dates, Carter begins to fall for Adam, who turns out to be a nice guy despite his drop-dead-handsome looks and Hollywood background. As an actor familiar with the trials of artists, he gives her some insight into the reasons she stopped dancing. Meanwhile, Carter's star-struck good friends, who don't know about the ruse, struggle to understand her emotions and actions as they gaze on stars in the night sky, with one friend writing a stargazing blog that integrates Carter's experiences with both types of stars. Culbertson writes with sensitivity and sympathy, crafting an entertaining but perceptive character study. Written with a sure hand and keen insight. (Romance. 12-16)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
