

It's almost like he wants her to be a better person than she is. George has a habit of making Ellie feel a little less sure of herself, a little less on top of the world, a little less right about everything. With Aaron back in town and very much in her life, Ellie feels like things are just fine-or would be if her mother hadn't hired George to tutor her. Fortunately, her two closest friends understand her a lot better than George: Heather Smith loved her before she even knew who Ellie's stepfather was, and handsome Aaron Marquand has a father who's just as famous. It's not her fault that her stepfather became a TV star and now they live in a big house and people fawn over her wherever she goes.

The novel maintains momentum as several concurrent subplots unfold, including Anna’s older sister coming out to the family and Anna and her friends applying to college.This contemporary twist on Jane Austen's Emma features the signature wit and swoon-worthy romance of beloved author Claire LaZebnik's other fan favorites Epic Fail, The Trouble with Flirting, and The Last Best Kiss.Įllie Withers is definitely not spoiled, so she wishes that George Nussbaum would stop implying that she is.

Everyone laughs, Anna notices, “Except Finn, who's apparently too busy watching a tiny bug crawl across his hand.” When Anna's friends tease her about a guy who was flirting with her, for example, she unconvincingly denies it. Tension between Anna and Finn builds as they avoid facing their unresolved feelings while spending time with their mutual friends.This contemporary retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion will resonate with high school readers as Anna, now a senior, faces the consequences of her freshman-year decision to protect her popularity rather than admit to her friends that she likes nerdy Finn Westbrook.
