ARC Review: The Princess and the Fangirl (Once Upon a Con #2) by Ashley Poston
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Series: Once Upon a Con #2
Author: Ashley Poston
Published April 2nd 2019 by Quirk Books
Goodreads Synopsis
The Prince and the Pauper gets a modern makeover in this adorable, witty, and heartwarming young adult novel set in the Geekerella universe by national bestselling author Ashley Poston.
Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: save her favorite character, Princess Amara, from being killed off from her favorite franchise, Starfield. The problem is, Jessica Stone—the actress who plays Princess Amara—wants nothing more than to leave the intense scrutiny of the fandom behind. If this year's ExcelsiCon isn't her last, she'll consider her career derailed.
When a case of mistaken identity throws look-a-likes Imogen and Jess together, they quickly become enemies. But when the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, and all signs point to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. That's easier said than done when the girls step into each other's shoes and discover new romantic possibilities, as well as the other side of intense fandom. As these "princesses" race to find the script-leaker, they must rescue themselves from their own expectations, and redefine what it means to live happily ever after.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
I had adored Geekerella when I read it way back in January 2017, and for some reason, I just didn't get around to reading my review copy of The Princess and the Fangirl until I remembered the series existed when book 3, Bookish and the Beast was announced. I immediately dug out my copy of this one, and dove straight in, and remembered just why Geekerella was one of my favourite books of 2017.
In The Princess and the Fangirl, we have dual POV, looking at our two main characters, Jessica and Imogen/Mo. Jessica is a Hollywood star, nominated for an Oscar, and has most recently played the iconic Princess Amara in the Starfield reboot. Playing such an classic role has left her open to criticism, both warranted, and not, and when her character was killed off at the end of the movie, she was seemingly blamed for it all. Even if she had initially liked her character, she hates Amara now, and the whole #saveAmara campaign is something she wants to kill off before it gets too much traction. Mo, on the other hand, idolises Amara, and single handedly kick started the #saveAmara campaign online, and when she is mistaken for Jessica one day, and dragged onto a panel in her place, she thinks this could be the perfect time to make it seems as if Jessica wants to #saveAmara too.
When the script for the new film is leaked, and it seems as if Jessica could be at fault, she needs to be in two places at once - on panel and at her scheduled appearances, and also searching for the person leaking the script. So, she gets Mo to masquerade as her, with her best friend and assistant, Ethan, making sure nothing goes too wrong, and Jessica pretends to be Mo, in order to go incognito while searching. Pretending to be Mo allows Jess to be herself, and not have to worry too much about her appearance, her fans, or her career. She gets really close to Mo's online friend, Harper, and wishes she could really be herself, as she starts to fall for Harper. Mo, on the other hand, starts to understand that the grass isn't always greener on the other side, and Jess's life has been made hell recently by trolls and overeager 'fans'. She's also developing her own feelings for Ethan, but thinks he has a crush on Jess, and is only being nice to her because she looks like Jess. As both Mo and Jess get further through the con, and get to know each other better, they find themselves becoming true friends.
Now, this book was soo good, and I can't believe I waited so long to read it, but at least now I can start Bookish and the Beast straight away! I adored both of the main characters - Mo more than Jess - and really found myself wanting more and more, and couldn't put it down unless I absolutely had to. The two main romances in the books were lovely to read, but slow, as the book does only happen over the space of the weekend, but I hope we see more of them in the next book, like with did with Darien and Elle in this one. Really, everything I could've wanted was in this book, and I need to know how Vance can redeem himself in Bookish and the Beast because I still don't like his character now.
Dates Read:
February 25-26, 2020
Rating
5 Stars
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