Eighteen-year-old Evie Jones is on the cusp of having all her dreams come true. She was selected to audition for a famous director who watched her Senior Showcase and did an amazing job in her first film. Now she's on the verge of starring in another film and being the spokesperson for the most popular Black hair-care products in the U.S.. Evie and her bff return home from the event to an empty house.. Her parents are in Botswana filming another of their award-winning documentaries so the girls have the house to themselves. Simone, going against house rules just this once, pops a bottle of champagne to toast Evie's success and hopefully soon, Simone's. Needless to say, Evie wakes up with a hangover, an uncharacteristically quiet Simone, and a million messages. Someone posted a video of her drunken conversation and her career is instantly ruined. Fortunately she has a great agent who sends her to New York to stay with her famous superstar Grandmother Gigi. Gigi has always supported Evie and been a loving influence, but not this time. She's done away with all the trappings of stardom and has friends in the neighborhood. Even a young boy, Miles, who to Evie's horror, lives in the house, cooks, delivers groceries and plays in a band. Evie needs to get over her shock and convince her grandmother to accept an award in person and help her get Evie's career back on track. But Gig has disappeared - running off to "clear her head." How on earth is Evie going to get through this mess and learn what is really important in life?
Kristina Forest has written an excellent young adult novel featuring a strong heroine and a great message. Young adults will love it!. I always enjoy fiction about Hollywood and movie stars and I enjoyed this one VERY much. I appreciate the oppoortunity to read the ARC.

eARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book though. So, so good! 5/5 stars for sure.

This book starts of with our star, Evie, and how she thinks everything is going great for her. She has her best friend and she lands the roll of her dreams. But, one day everything changes. So, she heads out to New York to where her famous grandmother lives and tries to find herself. In the process she finds out a lot about herself and her grandmother... and maybe meets a cute boy along the way.

This whole book is just a wave of emotions and I glady rode that wave. One minute I am just heartbroken for the characters and one minute I am giddy as a school girl. I am normally not one that likes to have my emotions thrown around like that, but with this book, I was all for it.

I loved the character of Evie. She was flawed but comepletley relatable. I saw myself in pieces of her and it was really cool. Watching her find herself in this book was such a joy. She is now one of my favorite characters of all time.

I think my favorite part of this story was the family aspect. Even though they went through a lot of struggles, they were there for each other in the end. Also, seeing a family that goes through struggles is totally refreshing. It's not all "Leave it to Beaver" and this story shows that. I think showing struggle in a family is great in YA because a lot of younger kids have struggles in their own family and this shows that it can be normally and it can shed light for them.

All in all, I LOVED every minute of this book. I could really see this book come to life in a movie, In fact, I pictured Debbie Allen as the grandmother the whole time. I will definitley be buying a copy when it comes out.

When Evie first enters the scene, I had definitely had mixed feelings toward her. I understood her hurt from the betrayal that she suffered, but her presumptive attitude towards Milo, the teenage guy who actually makes time for Evie’s lonely grandmother, Gigi, was frustrating to say the least.

However, following Gigi’s mysterious disappearance, I really enjoyed the growth of Evie’s character, which Milo was largely responsible for since he just wanted to be an unassuming friend.

I loved the storyline surrounding Milo and his bandmates. It is very much a found family situation since each of the guys is struggling with their own identity and acceptance from their perspective families.

I wish I had a grandmother like Gigi. Her love for her granddaughter is monumental. And the tricks that she has up her sleeve in under to get Evie to understand herself is pure genius.

So, if you're looking for a heartfelt story that will leave your heart bursting at the seams by the end and is packed with adventure then Now That I've Found You is the book for you.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced listening copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Now That I’ve Found You

Author: Kristina Forest

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Black main character and Black/POC cast!

Recommended For...: ya contemporary, grandparent relationship, fame

Publication Date: August 25, 2020

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 14+ (depression, slight sexual content)

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Pages: 336

Synopsis: Following in the footsteps of her überfamous grandma, eighteen-year-old Evie Jones is poised to be Hollywood’s next big star. That is until a close friend’s betrayal leads to her being blacklisted . . .

Fortunately, Evie knows just the thing to save her floundering career: a public appearance with America’s most beloved actress—her grandma Gigi, aka the Evelyn Conaway. The only problem? Gigi is a recluse who’s been out of the limelight for almost twenty years. Days before Evie plans to present her grandma with an honorary award in front of Hollywood’s elite, Gigi does the unthinkable: she disappears.

With time running out and her comeback on the line, Evie reluctantly enlists the help of the last person to see Gigi before she vanished: Milo Williams, a cute musician Evie isn’t sure she can trust. As Evie and Milo conduct a wild manhunt across New York City, romance and adventure abound while Evie makes some surprising discoveries about her grandma—and herself.

Review: I really loved this book! I loved that the book focused on the grandmother/granddaughter relationship (which I don’t see a lot in YA books) and I loved the message about self worth and approval in a viral world. The book also had a great message about happiness and finding your inner strength and generally not giving an eff about what others think. The book was well written, had amazing character development, and awesome pacing. The book is a fast read that will be perfect for summer!

The only issue I had was that I wished that the world building was a bit better, but otherwise this was an amazing book and I can’t recommend it enough!

Verdict: Highly recommend and read it with your grandparents or parents!

Evie Jones is practically Hollywood royalty. The granddaughter of the revered Evelyn Conway and daughter of two notable documentarians she has always longed to fill up her own spotlight. She thinks she’s on her way at the age of eighteen when notable film director Paul Christopher casts her as the lead in a feature film. When a video of Evie goes viral, and not in a good way, Evie finds herself out an acting job and ostracized by everyone in Hollywood. With no friends and nowhere else to turn, Evie hopes to find refuge and help with her grandmother, Gigi, in New York. If anyone can understand her and help her out of this mess it is Evelyn Conway, who’s weathered her own fair share of scandals and still come out on top. While Evelyn gives Evie her unwavering love, she refuses to make a public appearance for an awards ceremony with her that Evie thinks could be her only way back to the top. When Gigi disappears, Evie is left teaming up with an unlikely ally to find her grandmother and save her dreams for the future. As she opens herself up to new experiences and people she’s never had time for in the past, will it shape how she looks at her future?

VERDICT is that Kristina Forest has written a heartwarming new novel that will pull readers in and have readers rooting for Evie until the very end. I’ve read many YA novels with a female protagonist looking for fame, but this one captures a unique voice. Evie is a very relatable and likeable protagonist that makes many mistakes, but keeps on moving. She doesn’t always make the right choice or learn the right lesson. She experiences pitfalls in relationships varying from friends to family to romance. It’s a valuable lesson to learn that not everything can be “fixed” but if you surround yourself with the right people you can learn to go on. I loved the complexities of relationships in this book and the vulnerability readers get to see in various characters old and young.

Thanks to Partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of Kristina Forest’s Now that I’ve Found You in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on Tuesday, August 25, 2020.

Evie Jones thinks she’s figured out her life. She has an amazing best friend; is launching her movie career with a much-praised director; has a sponsorship deal with a Black hair care company that she loves; and is following in the footsteps of her grandma, Gigi, the glamorous Evelyn Conaway, a Hollywood actress whose real life garnered her as much attention as her acting.

Then, Evie makes a mistake--a big mistake. She trusts the wrong person, and a viral social media post leaves her friendless and floundering. Only the hunger of the film industry--and the public--for an appearance by the reclusive Gigi gives Evie hope that she can save her dream.

Three months after Evie’s defeat, she’s in New York, banking on her grandmother to help her recover the potential that Evie had only begun to realize.

Kristina Forest’s YA novel Now that I’ve Found You is fast paced and engaging. I found Evie to be a flawed protagonist who earned my empathy from the beginning. At times, she acts in ways that are unappealing, but Forest makes sure that the reader always understands why she’s doing what she does: there are reasons that she has a hard time trusting people. Watching Evie’s coming of age arc, in which she’s trying to determine who she is, what she wants out of life, AND why she wants it, is compelling. I couldn’t put this book down until I knew what happened with Evie.

There’s romance here, too, with a young man named Milo who Gigi has befriended. Evie, counting on having Gigi all to herself, feels a lot of resentment toward Milo, but she’s also drawn to his passion for his art as she watches him try to move his band from hobby to career.

Forest uses multiple genres to weave in the story of Gigi’s lifelong love story with James Jenkins, her three-time-ex-husband, another actor. The parallels between Evelyn’s life and Evie’s story are beautiful, and the mystery of why Gigi ended her marriage with James and has refused to speak to him for 20 years is an intriguing thread woven through the book, another element that kept me reading. I love stories that feature Old Hollywood, and the beauty of Gigi and James’s first movie together being the first all-Black romantic film brings in a riveting touch of movie history.

Now that I’ve Found You is an excellent book for teenagers (and for adults!), one that balances the lightness of romance with the seriousness of determining one’s path in the world. I will absolutely be reading Forest’s debut, I Wanna Be Where You Are, and looking forward to her next book.

4.5 stars

Kristina Forest writes the swooniest YA rom-coms. RTC.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly August New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached).

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun rom-com that was pretty perfect for a summer day. It’s great to see a grandmother/granddaughter relationship in a central role. I also just found it adorable to see Milo interacting with the older ladies too.

Some of the situations were a bit predictable or unbelievable, but honestly, in a rom-com, sometimes that’s what feels comfortable and reassuring. That’s often why we grab rom-coms.

It’s a New York adventure with love and movie making drama so it’s definitely entertaining and will inspire smiles.

Evie Jones was on top, poised to follow in the footsteps of her famous grandmother, Evelyn Conaway--better known to Evie as Gigi. Then a betrayal from her supposed best friend leads to Evie being blacklisted in Hollywood and her life in shambles. There's only one way to fix it: being the one to present Gigi a Lifetime Achievement Award at a major ceremony--and get her to give her blessing for a remake of her most famous film, with Evie taking Gigi's role. And then, hours after Evie arrives in the city, Gigi disappears...

With only days left till the ceremony and Evie in an unfamiliar city, she finds herself reliant on Milo, a teenage musician and her grandmother's sometimes-roommate, to track Gigi down. Will they be able to find Gigi in time for the ceremony? And what else will Evie discover along the way? It is certainly an adventure of a lifetime!

"Now That I've Found You" is a phenomenal sophomore novel from Forest, and Evie is a remarkable protagonist. She's a slightly burnt cinnamon roll, jaded and protective of herself, but slowly starts to heal from her betrayal and come into her own and become herself again. As she should! She's not just Evelyn Conaway's granddaughter--she's Evie Jones! She's going to do remarkable things on her own! (It's amazing the things you learn about yourself when you have to run around New York City to find your missing eccentric grandma who hasn't really left her house in years...) And Milo is just so sweet, working so hard and a great guy. He really cares about Gigi, and Evie too. Adorable. Simply adorable.

Don't look too hard, "Now That I've Found You" is right where it needs to be: on a shelf near you!

(Also, I squealed at the Chloe and Eli cameo! Glad to see they're doing great!)

NETFLIX COME AND ADAPT THIS BOOK‼️THIS IS THE CUTEST 😩😩😩...review will be up soon!!

Now That I’ve Found You is Kristina Forest’s sophomore novel and Ms. Forest DID NOT disappoint! This book follows a young actress named Chloe who is living the Hollywood life until something happens that causes her to be blacklisted in Hollywood. When she is offered an opportunity to be back in Hollywood’s graces, she just needs something from her grandmother, Hollywood legend...She then goes to New York to stay with her grandmother, Hollywood legend Evelyn Conaway (aka Gigi). When Gigi elopes without a trace, Evie embarks on a mission around New York with Milo, the irritatingly hawt and lovable guitarist, around New York to find her grandmother.

There is so much more to this book and it has a lot of heart embedded within the pages.

Let’s talk about Evie:
This is a character who I felt for easily. She doesn’t really have a sense of self as she has purposely lived her life and career in the shadows of her grandmother. We all know that Hollywood is a tough industry and Evie just wants to feel a sense of security. She just wants people to like her and their lives be impacted through her work just how her grandmother’s did. Evie has trust issues, her family, friends, and the industry playing a direct part, and has some flaws. She can be mean and selfish sometimes but you can see the growth she takes to work on her issues.

Milo:
When I think of Milo I think of Andre from Victorious 😂🤣. I fell for Milo almost immediately. One thing I like about Milo is how brutally honest he can be. And I don’t mean brutally honest in a mean way but in a more endearing way if that makes sense. Milo is the type to say anything and everything on his mind with no shame whatsoever. He’s also musically talented, being one of the lead singers and guitarist of his band Doves Have Pride. Milo is honestly just a sweet and chill human being. He has a big heart and care for Evie and her Gigi...you can also tell that he was whipped from the start lolllll.

The Ship:
Now let’s get into Milo and Evie together. Now this was definitely one of the cutest relationships. Now I said before that Milo was whipped for Evie when he first laid his eyes on her...that wasn’t the case for Evie lol. Now I wouldn’t call this a hate to love romance, but Evie was definitely apprehensive of Milos intentions. He was a nice guy...but what guy or person is THAT nice you know?

The relationship plays with the “normal guy and privileged rich girl” trope a little bit and I loved it so much. Remember how I said that Milo was brutally honest? Well Evie is the exact opposite. She’s the person to keep her feelings and thoughts to herself and only expose them on a need to know basis. It’s so funny because there would be moments in the book in where Milo would say things that would catch Evie off guard and have her stuttering all over the place. Of course Evie eventually, cautiously even, warms up to Milo and I WAS SO HERE FOR THAT ~ Alexa cue in Sycamore Tree by Ruth B.~

As you can tell, this book was amazing and the cutest. There were some nice lessons sprinkled throughout as well. I have this book 4.5 stars!!
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Hear Our Voices Book Tours and HarperTeen for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for the advance Kindle copy of this 8.25.20 release. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this fun, heartfelt romance. On the cusp of stardom, teen actress Evie is betrayed by a friend and cast out of a promising role. Her parents send her to stay with her movie star grandmother in New York. Evie discovers that her grandmother is letting some random kid around her age stay with her. Convinced that he is using her grandmother, Evie sets out to dismantle Milo. But when Gigi disappears for a few days, the duo has to work together to track her down. Recommended for grades 7+.

This was extremely cute. The perfect frothy, summer read. In quarantine summer, this makes me nostalgic for public transportation and music shows! Evie is an up-and-coming actor until she accidentally sabotages herself. Wanting to get any from LA, she travels to NYC where her grandmother, a reclusive actress herself, lives. Once in NYC, Evie meets Milo, himself an aspiring musician who "works" for her grandma. This is my second Forest novel and I did like this one better than the first (not that that one was bad!). Forest writes teenagers very well and I enjoyed the voice of Evie. Kristina Forest has become an auto-read for me!

I received an eARC copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

First, thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc to review! Kristina Forest writes books that truly exemplify Black Joy. Now That I’ve Found You is an absolutely adorable story about not letting others define yourself or your perception of your own value. It’s a story about self-resilience. It’s a story about falling in love when you least expect it. I truly can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for review.

What a lovely, heartwarming inspiring read. Evie comes from a Hollywood family in every sense of the term. While her grandmother bowed out of the limelight, Evie suffers from the figurative backstabbing so stereotypical of the business.

Evie leaves New York to spend a week with her Gigi. There, she meets Milo, a boy her age who has befriended her grandmother. Milo helps Evie get out of a jam or two...but is he just doing it as a friend? After an argument Evie has with Gigi, her grandmother disappears. What is going on?

The book is a cute, boy meets girl, formulaic love story with a message: don't let what others think of you direct your life. This is a message we all need from time to time. The story is sweet enough for a middle grade book, but not too babyish to stand up as a YA book. I will wholeheartedly recommend this to my middle school students or anyone in the mood for a feel good story.

This was very cute, a light, fast-paced romance with lots of consideration of identity and a growing independent sense of self. In terms of some of the issues, I felt it might have been a little TOO light - there were plotlines I felt needed some deeper discussion to wrap up in a satisfying way - and there were times I found Evie somewhat annoying and self-centered as an MC (which I never quite felt she or the narrative gave appropriate acknowledgment to). Still, if you're looking for a quick, sweet read or you love behind the scenes show biz type stories, this will appeal.

4.5 stars. This was a really cute YA book. It's a romance, but the story focuses as much on Evie's relationship to herself and her own sense of self-worth as it does on the romance. It also touches on the importance of family relationships and being there for your family and the people who love you, romantically or otherwise.

My favorite aspect of this book is that Evie is a well-rounded, believable character. She's frequently has negative reactions to things which could make her unlikable, but I liked her regardless; these reactions were supported by the characters traits and flaws introduced earlier in the story. I really cared about Evie's journey and about what happened to her.

I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait to share my full review with you guys when my day for the Book Tour arrives! Thank you so much for this arc.

This was a solid YA, with endearing characters, a great plot, and amazing New York vibes.

Everything was going Evie's way until she was betrayed. Then her life sort of imploded. In an effort to repair her image, she fled to her grandmother, a famous and well loved actress, to seek help fixing the damage done.

• Pro: Kristina Forest writes these heartfelt stories that fill me with joy. I took a peek back at my review for I Wanna Be Where You Are, and found a quote which describes me reading this book as well.

"If you think the person on the cover of this book looks happy and full of joy, you should have seen me, when I was reading this book. My eyes were smiling, my heart was warm, and I was definitely sporting a perm-grin, because this was such a sweet, charming, and heartwarming story."

• Pro: Evie's support system was filled with some fantastic people. Though she originally held them at arm's length due to her recent experience, she grew to trust them. Among her supporters was Milo's band. I fell in love with the band not only because they were interesting and quirky, but because they welcomed Evie with open arms. This group had that "family" feel and along with her grandmother and agent, provided her something important that had been missing in her life - a place to belong.

• Pro: Gigi, Evie's grandmother was something really special. Getting to know her and her history was fantastic, and I am always happy to see multiple generations in a story. I especially have a soft spot for grandparents, so I had no problem fully embracing Gigi.

• Pro: The search for Gigi added a fun element to the story. I had a fabulous time traipsing through the boroughs with Milo and Evie as they searched for her!

• Pro: Milo gets his own section, because he was outstanding. I loved everything about him. The friendship he shared with Gigi was very sweet, and he was so kind, generous, giving, and heck, he was swoony. I found him to be the perfect match for Evie and was happy he was there when she really needed someone on her side.

• Pro: *Applause, Applause* Can we talk about that ending? Absolute perfection for me. I couldn't have ask for me.

Overall: I found this book to be a gift! Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop until. And when I got to that ending! Let's just say my glee was audible. Just like with her debut, Forest crafted a wonderful and heartwarming story filled with friends, family, and feels that left me walking on sunshine.

I’m such a fan of Kristina Forest’s rom-coms. They are filled with so much heart and depth, and the stories are always so consuming. Now That I’ve Found You is an absolute delight, with female characters that are well-rounded and genuine, flawed and relatable. Readers will see themselves in the complicated family dynamics, fear of failure, and the hard work of opening up and letting people care about you. I loved the NYC setting and the inclusion of a Hollywood storyline that feels familiar, but is also incredibly fresh and new. Highly recommend this book!

It has been a few years since I read a YA that I could relate to! This one though instantly pulled me in and made me fall in love with the genre all over again!

I highly recommend getting this book if you used to love YA but just haven’t had a good one in a bit or If you love YA!