Author: Kim Culbertson
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Purchased
Goodreads: A deliciously charming novel about finding true love . . . and yourself.
Nothing ever happens in Little, CA. Which is just the way Carter Moon likes it. But when Hollywood arrives to film a movie starring former child star turned PR mess Adam Jakes, everything changes. Carter’s town becomes a giant glittery set and, much to her annoyance, everyone is starry-eyed for Adam. Carter seems to be the only girl not falling all over herself to get a glimpse of him. Which apparently makes her perfect for the secret offer of a lifetime: playing the role of Adam’s girlfriend while he’s in town, to improve his public image, in exchange for a hefty paycheck. Her family really needs the money and so Carters agrees. But it turns out Adam isn’t at all who she thought he was. As they grow closer, their relationship walks a blurry line between what’s real and what’s fake, and Carter must open her eyes to the scariest of unexplored worlds – her future. Can Carter figure out what she wants out of life AND get the guy? Or are there no Hollywood endings in real life?
Ope’s Opinion: This is a really cute story. I would encourage my teen to read this one. The main character ( Carter ) had good moral standards, other interests besides boys, and cared about her family. All things I would want a teen to be encourage to be like.
It took me a little while to get into this story, but it was worth it. Being introduced to everyone and setting up the reason Carter would say yes to Parker’s proposal took a little longer then I expected. I wanted to jump right into it, but the set up was necessary to understand Carter.
The ending was realistic. After all, these are seventeen year olds. They have a lot of life left to live.
