ARC Review: Roman and Jewel

Roman and Jewel
By Dana L. Davis

Published By: Inkyard Press
Publication Date: January 5, 2021
Date Read: November 28, 2020
Genre: YA – Contemporary
Source: eARC from Inkyard Press and Edelweiss
Format: E-Book

From Goodreads:
If Romeo and Juliet got the Hamilton treatment…who would play the leads? This vividly funny, honest, and charming romantic novel by Dana L. Davis is the story of a girl who thinks she has what it takes…and the world thinks so, too.

Jerzie Jhames will do anything to land the lead role in Broadway’s hottest new show, Roman and Jewel, a Romeo and Juliet inspired hip-hopera featuring a diverse cast and modern twists on the play. But her hopes are crushed when she learns mega-star Cinny won the lead…and Jerzie is her understudy.

Falling for male lead Zeppelin Reid is a terrible idea–especially once Jerzie learns Cinny wants him for herself. Star-crossed love always ends badly. But when a video of Jerzie and Zepp practicing goes viral and the entire world weighs in on who should play Jewel, Jerzie learns that while the price of fame is high, friendship, family, and love are priceless.

“Jerzie, a girl like you is one meet maybe once in a lifetime. Where everything you ever wanted fits into the prettiest person you ever saw.”

There are no words to explain just how excited I was to get my hands on this book. Now, I’m not typically a big reader of contemporary novels, I’m more of a fantasy fan through and through. However, after hearing this was a book about a broadway musical that was a retelling of Romeo and Juliet I was sold. I am a huge Shakespeare geek and I adore everything musical theatre. This book was everything I could have wished for and more.

Roman and Jewel was absolutely everything my theatre-nerd and musical obsessed heart could have ever wanted. This book was made for me, I loved every moment right from the start and was sat reading it with a big cheesy grin on my face, I loved it that much. There was so many musical theatre references in this one that made me squeal with excitement. I felt just like Jerzie, a young teen excited to be surrounded be everything musicals. There was one thing that made me a little sad though… I wanna go see Roman and Jewel…. but it’s not a real musical. Can someone write this musical already please?

Roman and Jewel was my first book by Dana L. Davis and I am a fan. Her writing is witty and fantastic, her characters so relatable and her plot fast-paced. Usually I get bored while reading contemporary but that was not the case whatsoever with this one. I couldn’t read it fast enough. I absolutely love how her love story mirrors this amazing love story that you have in Romeo and Juliet… but without the disastrous ending. There was a little bit of insta-love, but as it’s mirroring Romeo and Juliet, I didn’t mind at all. It actually fit so well in this one. I seriously cannot recommend this book.

This book was utter perfection. It had drama, excitement, musicals and romance. What more could you ever wish for in a book? I was left wanting to read more and dying to go see a musical! If, like me, you’re a musicals obsessed nerd then this book is perfect for you! I can’t wait to get the hardback of this beauty to put on my shelf and read over and over and over again. It was utterly perfect!

“The only thing that matters is that I genuinely care about someone. I feel. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. To make people feel.”