3.5/5 Stars
Book Review:
‘I don’t need to stand up in front of a crowd to know my worth, and neither do you.’
-Kristina Forest, Now That I’ve Found You
Initial Thoughts:
Overall, I thought this book was cute, but I also didn’t feel super strongly about it; I didn’t feel entirely connected with the main character. Hence my somewhat middle rating of 3.5 stars.
The premise itself is fun. An up-and-coming actress named Evie is trying to follow in the footsteps of her famous actress Grandma. But Gigi disappears when Evie needs her the most. Evie runs around NYC, trying to find Gigi – with the help of a handsome aspiring musician named Milo.
I liked the book’s message about finding who you’re meant to be and not caring about others’ opinions of you. But at times, the message felt a little forced and could’ve been slightly more subtle.
I enjoyed the NYC setting, and there were some great scenes – including a paparazzi chase!
I also appreciated the moments of humor throughout the novel that encouraged me to keep reading.
It takes a while to get to the mystery/disappearance part of the story, and I wish it had gotten there a little sooner.
Characters & Romance:
‘My grandmother Evelyn Conaway isn’t perfect. But she is, and always has been, my favorite person.’
-Kristina Forest, Now That I’ve Found You
The characters are the aspect of the story I had the most difficulty with.
Evie is our POC main female character. After a huge betrayal by one of her friends, she struggles to gain the public’s approval once again. As other reviewers on Goodreads have also mentioned, Evie is not a very likeable character for most of the book. I understand the author was aiming for a transformation character arc, but it was sometimes difficult to sympathize or like Evie.
I liked Milo a lot! He is an aspiring musician who also happens to be good friends with Evie’s grandmother. I thought his romance with Evie was cute, but Evie isn’t very nice to him for a lot of the book.
I didn’t love Evie’s parents. They felt a bit underdeveloped and absent, and Evie’s agent almost seemed like more of a parent to Evie than her actual parents did. Evie’s parents didn’t seem to help her much during her time of greatest need.
I did like Gigi, but wished there could’ve been a little more of her on the page in the story. She has her own romantic issues, which were interesting to learn about.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, Now That I’ve Found You is a light, cute read. But it did take me a while to finish reading it – partly due to life and partly due to my reading mood. In my opinion, the pacing was OK, but I struggled to get through the middle, and the story started to feel slightly dragged out at the end.
But if you’re looking for a cute, YA contemporary romance with POC main characters, you’d probably enjoy this. Happy reading, everyone 🙂
*Content Warnings: At least one use of the f-word; behavior that could be interpreted as depression; some kissing.*
Book Review:
‘I don’t need to stand up in front of a crowd to know my worth, and neither do you.’
-Kristina Forest, Now That I’ve Found You
Initial Thoughts:
Overall, I thought this book was cute, but I also didn’t feel super strongly about it; I didn’t feel entirely connected with the main character. Hence my somewhat middle rating of 3.5 stars.
The premise itself is fun. An up-and-coming actress named Evie is trying to follow in the footsteps of her famous actress Grandma. But Gigi disappears when Evie needs her the most. Evie runs around NYC, trying to find Gigi – with the help of a handsome aspiring musician named Milo.
I liked the book’s message about finding who you’re meant to be and not caring about others’ opinions of you. But at times, the message felt a little forced and could’ve been slightly more subtle.
I enjoyed the NYC setting, and there were some great scenes – including a paparazzi chase!
I also appreciated the moments of humor throughout the novel that encouraged me to keep reading.
It takes a while to get to the mystery/disappearance part of the story, and I wish it had gotten there a little sooner.
Characters & Romance:
‘My grandmother Evelyn Conaway isn’t perfect. But she is, and always has been, my favorite person.’
-Kristina Forest, Now That I’ve Found You
The characters are the aspect of the story I had the most difficulty with.
Evie is our POC main female character. After a huge betrayal by one of her friends, she struggles to gain the public’s approval once again. As other reviewers on Goodreads have also mentioned, Evie is not a very likeable character for most of the book. I understand the author was aiming for a transformation character arc, but it was sometimes difficult to sympathize or like Evie.
I liked Milo a lot! He is an aspiring musician who also happens to be good friends with Evie’s grandmother. I thought his romance with Evie was cute, but Evie isn’t very nice to him for a lot of the book.
I didn’t love Evie’s parents. They felt a bit underdeveloped and absent, and Evie’s agent almost seemed like more of a parent to Evie than her actual parents did. Evie’s parents didn’t seem to help her much during her time of greatest need.
I did like Gigi, but wished there could’ve been a little more of her on the page in the story. She has her own romantic issues, which were interesting to learn about.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, Now That I’ve Found You is a light, cute read. But it did take me a while to finish reading it – partly due to life and partly due to my reading mood. In my opinion, the pacing was OK, but I struggled to get through the middle, and the story started to feel slightly dragged out at the end.
But if you’re looking for a cute, YA contemporary romance with POC main characters, you’d probably enjoy this. Happy reading, everyone 🙂
*Content Warnings: At least one use of the f-word; behavior that could be interpreted as depression; some kissing.*