JUST LIKE THE MOVIES

When Marijke the jock and Lily the nerd join forces to fix their love lives, Fiore lets her fangirl flag fly.

Marijke’s relationship with rocker Tommy is about to implode, and Lily’s liaison with motocross biker Joe has barely gotten off the ground. A twist of fate brings the two girls together at a screening of Titanic, and the duo are inspired to mend their romances with moves taken out of the chick-flick playbook. The ensuing stunts and grand gestures act as markers toward a Better  Understanding of Love, a lesson Fiore doesn’t oversell. Sure, the lesson’s important, but the author is much more interested in giving readers a good time, at which she succeeds. Strong characterization and smart, sarcastic quips move the novel along. The author exhibits her knowledge of the teen-movie genre without getting too reference-heavy or inside-baseball. Most importantly, these characters are just plain likable. They’re complex and interesting, and earned sympathy goes a long way toward making the book such an enjoyable read.

A sugary romance light on depth but big on charm, Fiore’s sophomore novel is a solid entry in the genre it clearly loves.