Title: Understudy
Author: Cheyanne Young
Publisher: 336Love
Date of Publication: February 14, 2014
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Blurb:
The high school play is in two months and senior Wren Barlow just became director. Wren still isn't over the fact that she got stiffed as a stagehand instead of the lead role that she totally deserved. Now she is in charge of rehearsals, costumes, navigating around cast member hookups and managing the real life drama at home.
The principal counts on her to succeed because tickets have been sold and the money has been spent. But when he drops a gorgeous bad boy on her and wants him to help the play for extra credit, she falls hard for someone she knows she can't date. With everything spinning out of control, the mysterious and secretive detention king named Derek has a few tricks up his sleeve and wants to help—too bad Wren is scared to give him a chance to prove himself.
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18045431-understudy
EXCERPT:
School has
been out for thirty minutes so I’m surprised to find a student in the back of
the warehouse using the skill saw. I don’t recognize him from behind, but from
what I can see of his backside, he’s too hot for Lawson High. Maybe he’s a
movie star researching his next film role. He’s wearing jeans a tight fitting
black shirt. His brown hair touches his shoulders and is as silky smooth as
mine is after an hour of flat-ironing it to death. Ugh, why do guys always get
the best hair?
Mr.
Harrison gives an old man arthritic grunt as he settles onto his work stool. He
slides the longest piece of molding across the workshop table toward me. “Cut
this on the chalk line.”
I slide
open my tape measure, but he stops me. “Use the square. Come on girl, I taught
you better than that.” Of course he did. The normal me would have known to grab
the square to mark a perfect line, but right now I can’t think over the
thudding of my heart in my chest. How is it that I’m more nervous standing
across the room from a guy who hasn’t even noticed that I exist, than I was
moments ago while auditioning for the biggest role in the school play?
I head
over to the pegboard wall with all the tools on it. The square, which actually
looks like a triangle, should be on the lower left corner but it’s not. I check
the workspaces around me but still can’t find it. I’m about to tell Mr.
Harrison that someone stole his tools again when I see it.
It’s
shoved in the back pocket of the hottest ass I’ve ever seen. I make my way over
to the possible movie star, miraculously not dropping dead from cardiac arrest.
A sheepish grin falls over my face. “Can I have that square?”
Hot Boy
turns around, a carpenter’s pencil sticking out of his mouth. He takes the
square from his pocket and hands it to me. “Thanks,” I say. He glances over at
my project and then back at me, and I’m pretty sure his eyes graze over my
entire body in a split second, but it feels like it takes an hour.
“Crown
molding?” He says it like he’s confused. Like we’re in a shoe factory instead
of wood shop.
I give an
awkward shrug. “I want my room to look like a French boudoir.”
He nods
and this smirk spreads across his lips as he looks at the molding and then back
at me, as if suddenly understanding my entire personality.
There’s
something in his smile that makes me want to rip off my shirt and throw myself
into his arms, declaring my soul as his love slave, like some lunatic in an Axe
body wash commercial. He holds out his hand. “I’m Derek.”
3.5/5
This was a really cute and quick read. The story centers around Wren, a budding interior designer, who is trying to bag the lead role in the school play so as to have something good on her resume when applying for college. Her aunt is directing the play and is a major drama queen. I really did not like that woman. She was so horrible to Wren. When she throws a hissy fit and quits her job, the role of director lands on Wren's shoulders. That is an enormous task to take on, but as they say, the show must go on.
I liked Wren for the most part. I thought it was cool that she was into woodshop and had a thing for interior design. I felt she could be a bit immature at times though and I found myself rolling my eyes at her a couple times. She is 17 I suppose but I felt she could have handled some things better. I really liked Derek. He was such a sweety. You just knew there was more to his "bad boy" reputation than what everyone was saying.
At less than 200 pages this is a really quick read. With a lot of short books I find that some aspects of the story can be rushed and not fleshed out enough. I was worried that would be the case here but luckily it wasn't. Sure I would have liked the book to be longer but it didn't feel lacking. And the ending was adorable. The book takes place over the couple of months it takes to rehearse and put on the play. I liked the play aspect of the story. It was entertaining and I liked seeing all the different aspects of putting on a play.
While I didn't love this book I still enjoyed it. It was cute and fun and proved a nice break from all the emotionally heavy books I have read lately. If you are looking for something quick and sweet then give this one a shot.
I liked Wren for the most part. I thought it was cool that she was into woodshop and had a thing for interior design. I felt she could be a bit immature at times though and I found myself rolling my eyes at her a couple times. She is 17 I suppose but I felt she could have handled some things better. I really liked Derek. He was such a sweety. You just knew there was more to his "bad boy" reputation than what everyone was saying.
At less than 200 pages this is a really quick read. With a lot of short books I find that some aspects of the story can be rushed and not fleshed out enough. I was worried that would be the case here but luckily it wasn't. Sure I would have liked the book to be longer but it didn't feel lacking. And the ending was adorable. The book takes place over the couple of months it takes to rehearse and put on the play. I liked the play aspect of the story. It was entertaining and I liked seeing all the different aspects of putting on a play.
While I didn't love this book I still enjoyed it. It was cute and fun and proved a nice break from all the emotionally heavy books I have read lately. If you are looking for something quick and sweet then give this one a shot.
~~~~~~
About Cheyanne Young:
Cheyanne is a native Texan with a fear of cold weather and a coffee addiction that probably needs an intervention. She loves books, sarcasm, nail polish and paid holidays. She lives near the beach with her family, one spoiled rotten puppy and a cat who is most likely plotting to take over the world.
She also writes under the pen name Amy Sparling.
Links:
Website: www.CheyanneYoung.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/NormalChey
Instagram: http://instagram.com/NormalChey
Newsletter: https://tinyletter.com/CheyanneYoung
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