This Time It's Real
This Time It's Real
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Annotation: Contains Mature Material
Genre: [Love stories]
 
Reviews: 3
Catalog Number: #351712
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Special Formats: Adult Language Adult Language
Copyright Date: 2023
Edition Date: 2023 Release Date: 02/07/23
Pages: 337 pages
ISBN: 1-338-82711-1
ISBN 13: 978-1-338-82711-8
Dewey: Fic
LCCN: 2022036939
Dimensions: 22 cm
Language: English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews

High school senior Eliza Lin, who recently returned to Beijing with her family, is stunned when her school assignment goes viral.Eliza's English essay, published on the school blog, describes her relationship with her devoted boyfriend in vivid prose-and turns out to resonate with lovelorn readers worldwide. It even catches the attention of a staff member at Craneswift, a website known for jump-starting the careers of acclaimed writers. Craneswift offers Eliza a six-month paid internship during which she'll write weekly blog posts about her relationship and offer advice on romance. The internship is everything an aspiring writer could dream of, but its success rests upon a lie. Having grown up moving from country to country due to her mother's career, Eliza has difficulties forming friendships, much less romantic relationships. Her boyfriend might be imaginary, but the opportunity is too good to pass up. Eliza strikes a bargain with Chinese American classmate Caz Song, a television heartthrob, to participate in a fake dating scheme in return for her help with his college application essays. The relationship can also rehabilitate his reputation, battered after a recent scandal. Pragmatism soon gives way to soul-searching as Eliza finds herself falling for Caz, whose smooth public persona hides unexpected vulnerabilities. This compulsively readable story comments on identity, social pressures, and the demands of the entertainment industry while developing an angst-y, heartstring-tugging romance between two sympathetic leads.Irresistible fun with unexpected sincerity. (Romance. 13-18)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Constantly uprooted by her mother’s consulting career, 17-year-old Eliza Lin has lived in six countries and attended 12 elite schools. After years of impermanence, Eliza struggles to fit in anywhere, and feels that her senior year at Westbridge International School in Beijing is going to be her worst one yet. She speaks “mediocre” Chinese and has no friends, prompting her to bury herself in writing. Though she’s initially stumped by a homework assignment to detail a close relationship, she invents an imaginary boyfriend, and the resultant essay, posted online, goes viral. When a popular literary website reaches out to Eliza with an internship opportunity for which she’s expected to offer romantic advice based on her purported relationship, she approaches classmate and wildly popular actor Caz Song with “A Strategic, Mutually Beneficial and Romantically Oriented Alliance to Help Further Our Respective Careers.” Eliza is an enchanting, hilarious, and vulnerable heroine, while Caz proves the quintessential teasing, noble love interest; their cotton candy–sweet budding relationship and ensuing romance make for an irresistible tale by Liang (If You Could See the Sun). Main characters cue as Chinese. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kathleen Rushall, Andrea Brown Literary. (Feb.)

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
Starred Review for Publishers Weekly (Tue Feb 07 00:00:00 CST 2023)
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Word Count: 82,542
Reading Level: 6.0
Interest Level: 7-12
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 6.0 / points: 13.0 / quiz: 523264 / grade: Upper Grades

Get ready to fall in love in this hilarious romcom about a girl who begins a fake relationship with the famous actor in her class, perfect for fans of Meg Cabot and Jenny Han, by New York Times bestselling author Ann Liang.

When seventeen-year-old Eliza Lins essay about meeting the love of her life unexpectedly goes viral, her entire life changes overnight. Now she has the approval of her classmates at her new international school in Beijing, a career-launching internship opportunity at her favorite magazine...and a massive secret to keep.

Eliza made her essay up. Shes never been in a relationship before, let alone in love. All good writing is lying, right?

Desperate to hide the truth, Eliza strikes a deal with the famous actor in her class, the charming but aloof Caz Song. Shell help him write his college applications if he poses as her boyfriend. Caz is a dream boyfriend -- he passes handwritten notes to her in class, makes her little sister laugh, and takes her out on motorcycle rides to the best snack stalls around the city.

But when her relationship with Caz starts feeling a little too convincing, all of Elizas carefully laid plans are threatened. Can she still follow her dreams if it means breaking her own heart?


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