Ashley Poston has done it again. I love the way she looks at classic fairy tales through a modern lens, especially with how geeky it is. This one was all girl power and I couldn't get enough of it. We see our two MCs realizing they're not that different from each other and have very similar struggles. Plus swoon-worthy romances and a glance at our darlings from the first book.

I think Jessica's character was really important in today's society. Stars are closer to us now more than ever. We can communicate directly to them, unlike ever before. The internet is a glorious place but it brings out the worst in people. Jessica's story is humanizing stars for us again and making us realize that they do see what we say about them and it can hurt. They're people, not untouchable robots with no feelings. We can criticize their acting or portrayal of a character but we have to remember that they're not those characters. I think this is a reminder everybody could use and I loved that we got to see it through the star's eyes.

I absolutely loved Imogen and her crusade to save Princess Amara. She's the perfect foil to Jessica which really makes this an extraordinary read. She gives us the perspective of the fan which really drives home our need to be reminded that stars are people. I loved the girl power and feminism woven through their stories and how it was the reason for Imogen's campaign to save the princess. It was a really great critique of women in sci-fi and the roles that they're allowed to play.

The characterization in this one is just as stunning as Geekerella and I absolutely cannot wait to see if Ashley does anything else in this universe.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Quirk Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

This was a delightful follow up to Geekerella. I enjoyed the characters of Jess and Imogen. While I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one I still would highly recommend this to people who loved the person or people who love fandoms and cons.

I loved this book so much! This book is truly a love letter to the fandom experience. I loved all the little inside jokes and moments that helped remind me of my community and all of the things that I love so much!!! I liked that we got to meet new characters and follow two different romances within the book, both of which were really sweet. My only drawback was the character of Jess, it took me a long time to really trust her and get past some of her superficiality.

Okay, I definitely liked this more than GEEKERELLA. I'll admit things didn't go exactly as I thought they would based on what little I knew of the plot (which, as always, wasn't much because #TeamNoBlurbs) but I knew THE PRINCESS AND THE FANGIRL was set in the same fandom world as the first and would feature a f/f pairing. It just wasn't the pairing I thought and that is <b>more</b> than okay.

"<I>I'm [..] sick and tired of princesses being either damsels in distress or the foil for a male character's emotional growth.</I>"

I'm really enjoying Poston's contemporary fandom retellings, this one obviously being a THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER reimagining, and I hope there's more to come! This follow up felt even more chockfull of references and memes and fandom and sci-fi and all sorts of geekery. If that's your thing, you'll love this.

<I>The internet makes it easy for us to forget that there are people on the other side of those characters, and whether you like us or not, we're people too. So your hot take shouldn't dehumanize me, or tell me that I'm wrong, or that I'm worthless, or a slut who slept on some casting couch for the role.</I>

In addition to all the fun-times, there's also some great commentary regarding internet behaviours, online and fandom culture, including the toxic sides, and just how devastating it can be to be targeted by trolls. But, on a lighter note, there's a little bit of that fairy-tale magic impossibility in the air and a mystery to solve; complete with a <I>Scooby Doo</I>-like adventure squad team up, featuring some familiar faces from the first <I>Once Upon a Con</I> instalment and plenty of new ones, too. In fact I might have liked the new characters even more..

<I>This is a bad idea. I can think of ten ways to Sunday why this would never work in real life. Only in K-dramas. Only in anime. Only in YA novels. This sort of thing doesn't happen in real life, and it most certainly doesn't happen to me. And yet..</I>

If you liked GEEKERELLA or if, like me, you wished you had liked that one more, I think you'll be very happy with THE PRINCESS AND THE FANGIRL.


** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

4/5 Stars

In need of a high dose of nerd in your life? Craving a cute contemporary? If both are true, The Princess and the Fangirl is definitely for you! This retelling has an actress and a fan switch places over a convention weekend and the wild ride that plays out is nothing less than blissfully fantastical. I would expect nothing less though from a great writer like Ashley Poston.

Jess is the high profile actress whose character was just killed off a prominent scifi franchise. Being in the industry, she's learned to protect herself by presenting a gruff, closed off demeanor. Imogen though is incredibly open and passionate about the things she loves and does not hold back. During this madcap plan, the two of them see the realities the other is facing and find a little romance along the way.

I absolutely adore fandom life and seeing it on the page always brings me joy, so spending a whole weekend at ExcelsiCon was a perfect setting for me. From panels to booths, Artist Alley to sci-fi showings, nerd life was on full display. The good does come with the bad though and Poston took a deep look at the trolls that permeate pop culture and the entitlement that comes with being passionate about someone else's work.

Overall Ashley Poston's The Princess and the Fangirl was another lovely addition to the Once Upon a Con universe. This companion was plenty sweet but also took on the difficulties of fandom toxicity. Jessica and Imogen while look a likes had quite different personalities and it was cool to see how each of them dealt with the other's life. I totally recommend this one to Geekerella fans and those in need of a dose of cute.

OH GOODNESS THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH FUN!!

I already want more. Please give me a full series set in sci fi conventions around the franchise of Starfield. The first book in this series was Geekerella. Although I loved the call back to a Cinderella story in a modern day context, there were some parts of the living situation that Elle had to put up with that really were quite hard to read.

Unlike in that book, this one has a loving family--well, the one we see anyway. Imogen has two moms and, if she feels like she's overshadowed by her younger brother, it's something that's very much not deliberate and the two of them are very close. If the two moms isn't enough, Milo also has a boyfriend, Bran. So that's one very queer family all on its own.

But what I really wasn't expecting was to have a main romantic plotline between Jessica Stone, who is in this retelling the princess, and Imogen's internet friend Harper. And they were so so super cute.

Every single issue that was brought up throughout this story was well handled before being removed. There were consequences to every action. And, at the same time, this was just some really nifty YA fluff.

I've been looking for a retold fairy tale series I can get on board with after The Lunar Chronicles concluded, and I think I may just have found it.

I loved this cute story about how two girls switch places and see the upside and downside from being famous to normal. For all the people out there who love to dress up in their favorite characters this book is for you! I loved the two point of views and how we can be blind to other people's struggles. Loved it !

Geekerella was one of my favorite reads of 2017, so I jumped at the chance to read this one too. I am glad to report that this one was just as adorable and as fun to read as Geekerella. I was also pleased to see most of the characters from the first book making appearances in this one.

This book is told by both Jessica Stone and Imogene Lovelace. We meet Jessica in the first book, she is Darian’s co-star, but it was great getting to know her better. Imogene is the new character and I really liked her.

Jessica is a hard person to like, but you do like her. She is rather closed off and somewhat angry and anxious all of the time. When she was with fans she was still acting. She was only herself when she was with her life long friend Ethan, her PA. It must be hard being a celebrity these days, with everyone’s instant access to your life. Jess doesn’t want to return to the world of Starfield, she doesn’t get why people love and care so much about this show. She struggles with understanding the fans who both love her and hate her for her role as Princess Amara. As she is pretending to be Imogen, she starts to see what fandom is all about and begins to get it. Through her we see the downside of fandom and it isn’t pretty. She begins to accept herself as well.

Imogene was a great character that I had an easier time relating too. She always felt like she was in her brother’s shadow. That she wasn’t important in the big scheme of things. When she accidentally gets mistaken for Jessica, and she see something of a glimpse of what it would be like to be a star, she feels even smaller and unimportant. But then she sees some of the uglier aspects of stardom, and begins to see how harmful fans and their comments can be to people. She becomes a better and stronger person through out this book because of that.

There is romance in this book, but not between Imogene and Jessica. The romances were both well done, although a little bit on the instant side for Jessica. Both love interests were good choices, and I did enjoy watching them develop. Because this is a short book, they maybe didn’t develop as much as I might have liked, and Imogene’s was left a little bit up in the air by the end, but I still enjoyed them.

The Prince and the Pauper retell was well done. Both characters were able to see both the plusses and minuses of what the other’s life was like. They both come away from the experiences a better person. There is some great stuff about the evils of trolling and not letting the bad side of social media ruin your life. There are positive messages about learning to love yourself before loving others.

This is only the second book by Ashley Poston that I have read, but I will definitely be picking up some of her other work from now on. I enjoy her writing style and her characters are complex and relatable.

If you loved Geekerella like I did, you will adore this one as well.

Even though this is a companion novel to Geekerella, I didn't feel too lost having not read that, other than not knowing the back story of some characters. In all honesty, I loved it so much that I couldn't put it down.

As a modern-day Princess and the Pauper, the story focused on actress Jess, who was at ExcelsiCon with the cast of her movie Starfield, and her look-a-like and con attendee Imogen, who accidentally ended up taking the place of Jess on a panel. When the audience didn't realise, and after Jess got in a spot of trouble that she had to figure out, they decided to swap places.

The novel was written from both sides, and I loved hearing the adventures of both Jess and Imogen, who got more than they bargained for in the swap. It was a novel that touched my fangirl heart, and I laughed, smiled and cried the whole way through. I'm definitely going to have to pick up Geekerella soon to read!

[ 4.5 🌟 ]

I read this book in a day, and I loved EVERY MOMENT OF IT!! From reading things like The Plague by Albert Camus and Beyond Good & Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche to a lighthearted and joyful story about friendship, family, fandoms, and nerdy conventions was exactly what I needed! Just another note: The Princess & the Fangirl is a companion novel to Geekerella, but you don't have to read Geekerella first to understand the story of The Princess & the Fangirl! Though, I do have to say, it's fun to see the cameos of some of the characters from Geekerella.

THOUGHTS

To write my reviews, especially if I'm reading on my kindle, I look back on what I've highlighted. For The Princess & the Fangirl, one of the first highlights was commentary on Hollywood through Jessica Stone's perspective. It really makes you re-evaluate at how you look at the idols of society. Sometimes it's difficult to remember that they are people, too.

On a similar thread, Poston also contemplates the good side and the bad side of social media. On one hand you can make some incredible connections that would not have been possible if it were not for social media (I can attest to this), but then, since people are anonymous behind their screens and their usernames, one has the potential to be cruel to others because that anonymity protects them. At the same time, Poston stresses how internet friends are valid and very much so real. One does have to be cautious about what they're putting out there but similar interests can lead to friendships that are not limited by time or distance. 

THE CHARACTERS. I love them all (to varying degrees, of course), and I need to protect them. Plus, it's amazing that Imogen's nickname is Monster; I love that! Ashley Poston writes such developed (and wholesome) characters, which was evident in Geekerella, and even more so in The Princess & the Fangirl! The book is a little over 300 pages (according to the e-ARC), but I have such a clear picture of each one of the characters, probably because Poston creates such diverse and unique cast. The characters are similar in their own ways, but, ultimately, they are all different with their own wants, desires, and insecurities, and that is refreshing to see. Plus, the hate-to-love trope showed up, and I'm definitely here for that.

It was so great to see Darien, Elle, Sage, and Calliope again!! When I first say Elle's name, I was like, ELLE!!! (Geekerella has such a special place in my heart that I was not even able to fully express my thoughts in a review).

What particularly struck me about Poston's writing was how relatable it is. I felt it in Geekerella, and The Princess & the Fangirl was no different. I highlighted so many things Imogen said about her insecurities. I had not even thought about this aspect of myself, but once she expressed how she sometimes felt like "nobody," I realized that I definitely have those kinds of thoughts and feelings as well. It took a book character and a brilliant author to make me face some of the insecurities I have about myself ( I tend to push my fears deep down and ignore them, which is not healthy, please don't do this).

Some other random(ish) thoughts: Ashley Poston mentions J-pop!! I'm more into k-pop but I have heard of J-pop!

Also, I can't write a review about The Princess & the Fangirl without mentioning the nerdiness!! The Once Upon a Con books always have a center message: Be proud of your nerdiness! (but I do now really have to watch Star Wars and Star Trek) 

I can't wait to see what else Ashley Poston has in store for the Geekerella Fairytales/the Once Upon a Con books because these stories are such a love letter to nerdiness and cons and fandoms, and they always make my heart so happy in such a special way (as in I feel like my heart is going to explode from the joy and all the smiles)! The fun and geeky (with a dash of romantic) books are always balanced with hard-hitting realness with Ashley Poston, and I think that is what makes these stories even more unique.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quirk Books for letting me read The Princess & the Fangirl early!

This book was for a younger audience that I anticipated but was a really light and cute read. I'd recommend this book.

Geekerella was a surprise love affair for me. It managed to balance quirky and cute perfectly to create an adorably unique romance. The fan elements of Geekerella were not subtle, but they weren't extraneous either. Geek culture played a role in the book, and it was woven into the narrative such a way that it did not feel like it took over the storytelling. The Princess and the Fangirl unbalances the successful formula of fan culture and fairytale retelling from Geekerella to create a shallow follow-up, devoid of the magic of the original.

I wanted to love this book. I wanted to love it so much; I just couldn't. The fact that I did not enjoy this book breaks my heart. I'll start with what did not work for me.
- The book uses texting acronyms for words that a character is thinking. I can only hope that these are removed before final publication because this is my most massive pet peeve in a book.
- The whole book reads like the author was challenged to name drop as many things from fandom as possible, and the result is, honestly, hard to get through.
- The plot is just a loose construct there to encourage as many memes as possible. The book is more meme than plot.

To balance this review, I will say that I applaud the author's continuing use of diverse characters. Ashley Poston does also seem like a lovely person, but I think having read Heart of Iron and The Princess and the Fangirl, she needs a much stronger editor.

I'm not the target demographic for this book, and (hopefully) some of the issues that I had with the book will be cleaned up before publication, even if I'm not optimistic. As it stands, I'd recommend this book if you liked What If It's Us or Ready Player One.

Rants, Raves, and Thoughts
I don't want to spend this review comparing this book to Geekerella, because in the end I think the books accomplish different goals. Perhaps it is because of when I read both books or my mind state....who knows. That being said, I loved Geekerella, and view it as an absolutely adorable YA romance retelling. And while it does have the undercurrent theme of "hey, celebrities are humans too and you need to remember it," The Princess and the Fangirl takes this idea and builds on it exponentially. And honestly, it is a large part of why I love this book so much. 

Trolls are a massive problem with the internet today, and I cannot imagine why anyone wants to be famous and have to put up with that kind of spotlight. You have to have tough skin, or be off social media entirely (which can be career damaging too) or be willing to fight. Thinking about it is absolutely exhausting. And in part, this book shows that those who may look the toughest (Jessica Stone is known for being solid and stoic and almost emotionless) can be the ones who have the most anxiety about what is being said. And what's even more outrageous is that the women in popular films - comic book, science fiction, fantasy - take the absolute brunt of this toxic feedback on social media. And what about women who held these roles back in the 60s or 70s or 80s?

Book Quote: What my agent should have said was that Starfield would make me a household name like Kelly Marie Tran, or Daisy Ridley, or Leslie Jones, actresses whose bigger stories are not about their performances but about the trolls who chased them off the internet. 

I have made this book sound a bit depressing, haven't I? That's what Poston does SO WELL: this book isn't depressing at all! She delivers this heavy reminder in a light sugar coating of nerdy commentary and geeky fandom moments that show that Poston loves culture in spite of all of this. That part of the reason why we should be so intent on changing it is because it IS such a part of who we are (at least my generation? I don't know. BE NERDY AND HAPPY.) We are reminded that it is perfectly fine to fangirl or geek out over anything, that pop culture has substance and importance in this world. I mean, part of my overall enjoyment of this book is the giddiness of how many references I understood, and finally working up the nerve to ask if I was misunderstanding references to a podcast I love. There is nothing wrong with wanting to read or watch "higher quality" literature or movies, to be "cultured," but at the end of the day, I am surviving in NYC because I found a peer group based on a love of a podcast network that happened to have an active Facebook group. 

And while I may be making deep mountains out of what could easily be viewed as a simple YA romance book (don't belittle YA like this, SEE THE LAYERS), don't worry - both romance stories are adorable and worth it. There is queer representation throughout the book, which seems to be a question on several Goodread members' minds. The book hits on two romance tropes I absolutely love: enemies turned lovers and celebrities dating normies. 

AND there are characters from and nods to Geekerella.

Final Moments
At the end of the day, this book was light, fluffy, and yet incredibly meaningful. I swooned and cheered for romance to persevere, I laughed at all the fandom references, I genuinely missed being at a convention. I only go to two in a year - BookCon and NYCC - and while they can be anxiety inducing, stressful, germ filled events, they're also moments you can spend with people who genuinely seem to get being excited to cheer for fictional characters and where you can be you. In a cosplay or out of it. I look forward to (hopefully) reading more books in this series. 

PS: Ashley, if you ever just need someone to geek out over a tv show or something, I'm so there. Just give me a Ravi Chakrabarti cosplay next book!

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a fandom in want of a princess will save that princess." That is the mindset Imogen "Mo" Lovelace has when she begins the #SaveAmara campaign on social media, trying to bring back from the dead Princess Amara, who was tragically fridged in the both the ending of the original Starfield TV show and the new reboot movie. She's excited to be at ExcelsiCon, meeting her friend Harper IRL for the first time, and is on a mission to save her favorite princess.

Too bad Princess Amara doesn't want to be brought back from the dead. Jessica Stone is desperate to put Starfield behind her and move on to bigger, better productions. After all, why would she want to stay when her Twitter and Instagram are flooded with trolls and manbabies who criticize everything about her? It's perfectly understandable that ExcelsiCon is the last place on earth Jess wants to be. Good thing she has Ethan, her best friend and personal assistant.

Then the script for the sequel leaks... And all signs are pointing to Jess. Fortunately, she has a plan when she and Imogen are mistaken for each other. After all, what harm is there in swapping places for a few days?

An excellent companion novel to Geekerella, Ashley Poston accurately captures the essence of the beauty, wonder, and camaraderie of being in a fandom, while simultaneously not shying away from the other, uglier side of fandom. Trolls are not only just in the dungeons, but everywhere you look and do their best to zap away all of your joy and fun. (*side eyes Voltron fandom*)

Fans of Geekerella will be happy to see the return of familiar faces and feel a sense of returning home on the floor of ExcelsiCon, while simultaneously falling in love with new characters and eagerly awaiting the reveal of who is behind the script leaks.

Look to the stars! Aim! Ignite!

While this was really cute, It was just an okay read for me. The reason why I didn’t think it worked that well for me maybe because I’m in my late 20’s. There were quite a bit of pop culture references that I wasn’t familiar with.
I liked the main characters, Imogen and Jess. I also liked that the author included diverse characters. Like I said before, I just wasn’t the in the right demographic this way aimed for.

I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston was a delight to read. The premise takes the classic Princess and the Frog fairy tale and places it in a fan convention for the fictional sci fi show Starfield. This is the second book in a series but it stands on its own.

The writing style is light and fun, full of pop culture references that made this geek girl's heart smile. The two heroines each get their own story line and love interest which are satisfactorily concluded. There are themes throughout of the power of entertainment to inspire and change lives as well as the real issues surrounding sexism and bullying in fan culture.

The culture around the Starfield show feels entirely familiar for the geeky audience and there are plenty of references to the real standbys. The use of the convention makes for an interesting setting for the plot with the established panels and events to move the story forward and give conflict deadlines. It is a believable world and creates enough fantasy for the fairy tale setting. If this series continues, it should prove quite successful. I would recommend this title for anyone who enjoys popular fan culture.

Sometimes books just shoot cupid's arrow right into your heart and you have so much love for it, that it's hard to explain why.
I'm gonna tell you all of the things that I enjoyed and loved about The Princess and the Fangirl, but there's no way to actually explain to you how it made me feel. This book literally filled a void in my soul that I didn't know existed and I'm so grateful for this book and the whole universe around ExcelsiCon that Ashley Poston has created.

Before we really get into this review, let me talk about the representation. One of the main characters, Jess, has a f/f romance and her love interest is black. Both characters never mention any labels or specifics about attraction (or maybe I was crying while they mentioned it) and I'm digging it. We need on-page representation but we don't always need specifics.
The love interest of the other main character, Imogen, is Japanese-American (although I don't know how I feel about the fact that Imogen said he looked like a J-Pop star). Imogen has two moms and her brother is in a relationship with another guy.

I really enjoyed Poston's Geekerella on a lot of levels but what really got me about the novel were the fandom elements and how much of her own love for fandoms Poston put into it.
And The Princess and the Fangirl did it AGAIN.. maybe even better. There were so many beautiful, fandom related moments in here. Reading this as someone who has made herself a home online and in many fandoms, this book felt a little like coming home too. Poston just GETS IT! And she writes about how it feels to be part of fandom culture like no other.

And oooh, my heart with all of the Geekerella references. You COULD definitely read this without having read Geekerella but I would really advise against it. First of all – if you enjoy Geekerella, you'll probably enjoy this one and vice versa. But this book is really loaded with references to its events and characters, so not only do I imagine it's probably a bit confusing in parts but you'll just have a much greater reading experience if you can recognize all those references.
AND there's some spoilers for Geekerella and I'd find it really sad if you couldn't discover those events and character developments for yourself. So, please read Geekerella first! It's worth it! It also makes the reading experience much more emotional.

This is also important for the understanding of the fictional sci-fi show, Starfield! If you've read Geekerella you have a certain knowledge of this show, which is really important for understanding the impact that a lot of the events in this novel have.
And if, like me, you also fell head over heels in love with this fictional show, it truly feels so wonderful to be back at ExcelsiCon, to read about Starfield again, to experience the fandom. I'm not even gonna lie – I'm a Starfield fan and this book only strengthened my love for it. One day I want this show to actually happen. I can quote so many things from the show. I literally want a shirt that says "Look to the stars! Aim! Ignite!" And there was one really beautiful scene at the end of the book where this phrase gets used and I could literally feel myself experiencing this moment with everyone else and I just BAWLED!

One aspect that I also really loved was the two perspectives that we got. Apart from the fact that I truly loved both main characters with all their flaws and everything, it was just so fun to see the perspective of an actress at a con (and especially someone who is not involved in fandom at all) and of a frequent con-goer who even shared a booth with someone and then see those roles reversed. Both characters learned a lot from this experience and I just think that it worked incredibly well in this context.
This also had so much commentary on social media, misogyny in especially Science Fiction and Fantasy fandoms, harassment at cons.. you name it. Sometimes those moments felt a little clumsy but god, I'd rather have them in there clumsily than ignore the fact that this is A CONSTANT THING that happens.
I like that we see an actress as part of a big Science Fiction franchise (especially a rebooted one) and how much harassment she experiences through social media. It referenced both Daisy Ridley's and Kelly Marie Tran's situations and it was clearly a very timely commentary on that. It was really great to see this talked about in a novel cause I had never read about it, especially from this side of things, and I thought that Poston did such a good thing to also explain how it's hard to escape those comments and how it's scary.. but also sometimes even scarier to not read about yourself. I just thought that this was overall handled incredibly well. And I loved that the main character pointed out her own white privilege and that she acknowledges that she receives less hate than many women of colour in similar situations.

Through those perspectives, especially of the actress, Jess, experiencing the "fan"-side of things, this book explores the theme of the art-house movies vs the popular, entertainment movies and how there is value to both and an audience for both and how the entertainment media shouldn't be belittled, especially by people working inside of it.
I loved this aspect because that is exactly what I feel about this book! This was no Great Gatsby. This book has many flaws. There's some overly dramatic scenes in here, it has a very quickly developing romantic storyline (I'll get into this in the next paragraph) and I know this is gonna be too filled with pop-culture references for a lot of people. And I get all that. This is no Literary Fiction. But this pulled at my heartstrings and it was exactly the fluffy and emotional read that I needed. And it made a huge impact on me, an impact that a Great Gatsby would never achieve.

When it comes to the romantic storyline, you have to go into this knowing what you're gonna get. If you cannot handle a romantic storyline that takes place over a couple of days, this is not the book for you. I do not mind short real-life time spans, especially not if it's at a con because.. let's be real, cons are magical places and feelings are very heightened. But you might have to suspend your disbelief. Let's keep in mind, that this is a fairytale retelling.
If you take out that element, or, like me, just don't care, I loved both romantic storylines SO GOD DAMN MUCH. Now, I gotta say, with the whole Princess and the Pauper situation, the f/f romance was one that some people will probably not love? Cause it's basically build up on a lie and I definitely wish Poston had done something different but at the same time, I can't deny that.. I kinda didn't mind? Like I'm putting this info here cause I know it's gonna bother other people but for me, I still think it worked well and Poston just managed to sell this romance to me regardless, which is SKILLS in and of itself.
The m/f romance was a dislike-to-love (there wasn't enough time for hate) and it was SOME GOOD STUFF! I could tell IMMEDIATELY this was gonna be it and I looove that, I loved the dynamic and development.

In conclusion, I can only say I loved this book and could probably write five more paragraphs about it. Really, through writing this review I only just realized all the small nuances that added up to this being an absolutely fantastic read for me. It was so enjoyable and emotional and I will cherish this book forever. Look to the stars! Aim! Ignite!

True rating is about 2 1/2 stars because this book was certainly cute and enjoyable to read, it just didn't blow me away.

Jessica Stone is an actress in the popular sci-fi series, Starfield. Imogen is a convention-going geek so also happens to love Starfield and look quite similar to Jessica. When a leaked script gets lost at the major Atlanta con, Excelsicon, the two girls trade places, kind of like a genderbent Prince and the Pauper. The girls learn a lot about themselves, as well as seeing different perspectives of convention life, fandoms, and stardom.

There are enough geeky references and name dropping throughout the book to make any nerd happy, from Harry Potter to video games, Dr. Who to Yuri on Ice. My favorite reference was probably the absolute most subtle, when the characters quoted a scene from the animated movie, The Road to El Dorado. (My favorite movie, ever!)

I've never read Geekerella, but after finishing The Princess and the Fangirl, I am looking forward to diving more into this nerdy world Poston has created. It made my little nerd girl heart happy.

What I didn't like about the book was minor, it was nothing the author did wrong, I just wasn't as drawn into the characters and their problems didn't grip me. Yes, I wanted them to resolve the issues at hand, but how much did I really care? It moved a little fast in areas and kinda jumped right into certain things I think could have taken a bit more time to be developed. Other than that, it was a simple story that was enjoyable and fun to read.

Seriously loved this book. I rarely give out 5 star reviews so this getting a 4.5 in my book is tops. The story was fun. The romance was fun. While it tied into the first book you can get away without reading it, but read it anyway.

When is Ashley's next book coming out?

The classic Princess and the Pauper story gets retold with a geeky and feminist twist! I usually don't like retellings of this particular tale but this one completely won me over with its heartfelt earnestness, nerdy references, mystery, diversity, and kick butt heroines. A famous science fiction movie actress (think Star Wars similarities) needs to find who is leaking the script for the controversial sequel so she switches places at the four day comic con with a long time fan who has her own online campaign to influence the next movie's outcome.

The references and jokes kept me laughing while the hidden identities and mystery suspense kept the fast moving plot going. I really enjoyed the focus of the story on how the characters learned about themselves and saw things from another point of view that shifted their own perspectives. The story highlighted the dual aspects of fanbases and fandom communities as both havens to express what you love with others who feel the same as you do, while also having dark corners of criticism and attacks as harsh bullying. The romances were subplots that were new friends that became closer and nemeses-to-lovers which added more heart and humor to the story. If you like fairy tale retellings, strong female characters, fandoms, hidden identities, and romance then you will love this book.