This book was so good! I was hooked from the beginning and immediately loved the characters. I have a hard time relating to YA romance sometimes, but this felt very real to me.

I highly recommend if you want a YA romance with a good story, a little mystery, and a diverse set of characters!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the arc to read.

This book was so cute and I very much appreciated the POC cast throughout the novel.
Since I am a middle school educator, I think this book would be much more appropriate for high schoolers and beyond, however I am not going to oppse students from reading this.
There was a good mix of mystery and having grandmother's play a role in the story, which I think is very wholesome for YAs.
Would look forward to purchasing in the future.

NOW THAT I'VE FOUND YOU is a super cute contemporary YA about Evie, an up and coming 3rd generation Hollywood starlet on the brink of ruining her career. After her former best friend leaks a video of Evie mocking the director for the show she's just been casted for, Evie's wholesale fired from all of her opportunities: the movie, her beauty deal, etc. In a last-ditch effort to redeem herself, her grandma's ex-husband offers her a leading role in a highly sought after remake, but on two conditions: she has to get her grandma's approval, and she has to get her grandma to meet with the ex-husband. Piece of cake, right?

Not so fast. When Evie reaches NYC, nothing is as it seems. It turns out Evie's grandma has the emotional maturity of a bowl of frosted flakes and deuces out on day one, leaving Evie - and her grandma's seemingly "charity case," a struggling musician named Milo - to scour the city on their own trying to hunt the old lady down and get Evie her new role. Romance and trouble brews in equal proportion as Evie and Milo uncover more and more of Evie's grandmother's secrets, and readers will struggle to put this book down.

I really enjoyed this book. I haven't read any YA books in at least a year, and this was a nice break. The romance felt real. The plot was interesting. As an adult reader, I don't have much patience for Evie's grandmother's reckless and self-centered behavior, but I understand that I'm not in the target audience & teens probably won't bat an eye over it. Overall, this is a fast-paced and quick-moving read with a unique storyline that I believe readers will gush over.

This was the story I needed to read!!!! Evie is so lovable despite her stubbornness. This is a hero’s journey for today’s teens. I would even liken GiGi to her Yoda...or maybe Obi Wan because she goes into hiding but still looks out for her. And of course there’s love and Milo is the heartthrob we all need. I’m so stoked to recommend this to my students!!

I was provided with an e-arc***

It’s crazy how all those years in middle and high school and a bit in college were spent looking for black lead YA romance and 2020 is the year my prayers are answered.

Evie Jones is a budding movie actress with a family legacy: her parents are prolific documentarians and her grandmother Gigi is the famous and beloved actress, Evelyn Conaway. But Evie’s career is over before it begins when her best and only friend betrays her and leaks a video of her drunkenly mocking the director who’s movie she’s slated to star in. An emotional big chop and flight to New York later, Evie is determined to turn her fate around and reconnect with Gigi by getting her blessing to star in a remake of the movie that introduced the world to sweethearts Evelyn Conaway and her ex-husband James Jenkins.

I love this book for many reasons: the romance arc between Evie and Milo (I need more sweethearted black guys in books BLEASE) the mystery behind Gigi’s “disappearance” and Evie’s stubborness to find her, Evie’s growth (going from someone who was a little selfish, consumed by the opinions of others, and jaded by friendships to someone who eventually opened herself up again and found the strength to believe that she is enough just as she is). I also loved the Doves Have Pride band members and wouldn’t have said no to more scenes involving those boys. And did I squeal a little when Chloe and Eli from I Wanna Be Where You Are made an appearance?? Yes, yes I did.

I want to start off saying that I loved this book and really enjoyed the characters. The book was an easy read and can be easily be a book to choose when you want to escape from the real world for a bit or you find yourself at the beach. The story follows Evie Jones, a promising actress, in a journey to not only find her grandmother, a legacy in the Entertainment industry, but herself after being betrayed by someone she considered a best friend. Over the course of a couple days, Evie goes through a journey in New York City to look for her grandmother with help from Milo Williams, an upcoming musician who is friends with her grandmother. Along the way she meets or reconnects with Milo’s comedic bandmates, an no nonsense bodyguard, a helpful grocery store owner, her Grandmother’s close confidants, and her Grandmother’s ex-husband.

I loved that the author writes in a way that makes her characters seem like they are normal everyday people. I think this is very is important as a reader to see because it humanizes a community that is not always seen as everyday people by society. I also enjoyed reading about characters who are not perfect because it shows that while a character may be presented as this person who is truly mean or evil, that person may have some redeeming qualities about them. I feel that this leads into the conversation about humans being complex and that no one is perfect.

Now onto the topic of love! I loved that the author presented different generations of romantic love and the different types of relationships from a young and new couple to a married couple and also a couple that has not always been constantly together. I think that the author did a good job of making the relationships as another part of the characters and not using it to define the character. I think that was a highlight for me because it shows that every individual’s dreams and ambitions are important. It also sends along the message that these are important things to do in order to be your best self. This leads into the way that the author spreads the message that you have to believe in yourself and that your opinion of yourself is what matters the most. While I feel that this is a very popular message in general, the author makes you relate to the character’s journey in finding her self confidence and the struggle that it does not happen over night.

The last part that I will talk about is the way that the characters and certain things that happen in the story are relatable in some way. From the discussion on hair and using hair products to I don’t know if this person likes me or not is all bringing to mind conversations that I have with my friends. Another example is the discussion on how following your dreams is not always done easily or that there is one way to do them. I think that is beautiful thing to read because it makes the story more realistic and a reminder that it’s not one shoe fits all when wanting to achieve your dreams whatever they may be. Overall I loved the story because not could I see myself in multiple characters but it shows people of different backgrounds as just people.

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.- Goodreads

There are two things I did with this book once I was finished. I sat on the rating and I sat on the review.  I did this because I wasn't sure how I was going to do either one.

I enjoyed this book and man I think Milo is adorable and deserves every good thing in the world but here is what I didn't like Evie. She is a pretty selfish girl. Her grandma has some things in her past that she is dealing with and has not dealt with which is why she is hidden away. Evie doesn't care about that. She sees her grandma as a way to reclaim the stardom she lost, which for the record how she lost it was foul and there should have been more consequences for that situation.  But I digress. Evie wasn't a likable character in the long run although she had likable characteristics.

Despite Evie, what saved the day for me was Milo as he had the personality and the common sense in the novel. He did his best to try to help ground Evie but that was a task in a half.  I would have loved to see his character fleshed out more as well as Evie's grandma.

The romance made sense and Evie was smitten instantly. It was cute and I enjoy watching her go back and forth with how she was feelings. Evie was bent on being angry but between Milo, his friends and being in NYC (after getting cursed out) it was hard for her to be that.  What I did appreciate and love was the fact that after everything was said and done Evie went after her dream and figured it out in her own way. But there were a lot of unresolved issues that need to be worked out and didn't.

Forest wrapped everything in a nice bow towards the end but it wasn't a strong ending. I don't mean to say that there should be a book two (not at all) but going back to unresolved issues.

Overall, I thought this was a cute book but would have liked to see more work to it.

2 Pickles

Kristina forest for sure is becoming a author that I will be picking up anything that she writes because damn her debut and sophomore novels have both been so goood!!!

Now that I’ve found you i definitely loved more than her debut and can already see improvements from both books and Kristina definitely does the road trip/adventure around a city trope really well!!!

It was such an enjoyable read
I was beaming from start to finish, this was one of those books where it was really feel good with so many sweet moments about love, life and family (especially grandmas 😁)

The characters were very enjoyable and the dislike to like trope we got was really enjoyable between the main character and side character!!! But the person who stole the show for me was Grandma Gigi... she seems like such a caring,warm and loving woman who just want to live her life privately and with no Drama now that she is retired from being one of the biggest actresses!!! But also you just want to hug her and just to sit down with GiGi and have a nice cup of tea and talk for hours about everything and anything 😂😂.

Such a enjoyable read and one you can definitely read in a day.
1 like

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book.
While I do not teach older students, I frequently talk and discuss books with late middle school and high school students to encourage them to read!

"Now That I've Found You" was a great YA read! I will definitely be reading more Kristina Forest books in the future.
Evie is a flawed character, but I think a great role model to show students/teens that everyone makes mistakes and you do not have to be perfect. Milo is also a great role model to show teens that they should strive for their dreams no matter what others think.
I would give this book 4/5 stars!

Now That I’ve Found You

Evie Jones is going to be the next big star, that is until her best friend betrays her and her fame slips through her fingers. Evie is desperate to save her blossoming career, and she is going to use her famous grandmother to do it.

Evie is not very like-able and extremely naïve at the beginning of this story. Her development throughout is what made me want to keep reading. By the end of this book Evie is much more comfortable and confident with who she is, and she is continuing to learn what is best and healthy for her life.
Milo is a confident young man who knows how to give a person space while also remaining present in their life. Evie really needed Milo’s support to discover herself, and I love a romance that is healthy for all involved!
A fun read, that catches you off guard with the life lessons you learn
4.5/5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Roaring Brook Press for this Advanced eGalley!

Now That I’ve Found You is a breezy romance that won’t bog down readers very much, but it is entertaining. I wish the characters had been developed more, however. While I found Milo entertaining and humble, Evie was hard to like, even when she was being mistreated by her “best friend”. She was selfish and egotistical, and I had a hard time caring about her plight. And her grandmother was supposed to be nurturing and caring, though lonely, but she came across as distant and unbelievable. This story is not without its cute moments, but it just seemed a bit dramatic overall. For those who want a romance that does not involve a prolonged emotional commitment, this is a good one to pick up.

I love a good teen romance, throw in some paparazzi, a movie styled love affair and a backstabbing friend and you have a winner! Evie Marie has always wanted to be a star like her grandmother Gigi but somewhere along the way she loses herself and her self worth. It takes a fall from grace, a manhunt to Brooklyn and a love affair with a young musician to make her realize she is enough just the way she is. A cute, fun and uplifting story that is a great beach read.

I wanted to like this more than I did. Evie was too whiny for me, I wanted more of Gigi, I wished Simone's storyline would have felt more realistic towards the end of the story. I did enjoy Milo as a character and most of his interactions with Evie. Their storyline felt more genuine (if a little predictable). Overall the story was cute, I just wanted it to be a bit more than it was.

Kristina Forest is quickly becoming one of my favorite YA authors. This book was fun to read, the perfect YA rom com for a summer day. I fell in love with Evie and Milo and was rooting for their cinematic happily ever after.

Now that I’ve Found You showed the life of a teenage girl that had everything going for her until she did something stupid and it was videoed and shared with others. Just when she thought her life was over, she got caught up in a new town with new friends. Establishing her identity and what defined her was what made
this story fun.

Like her famous grandmother, Evie Jones is supposed to be the next big starlet in Hollywood... until champagne and a former best friend ruin her reputation and get her blacklisted. Evie thinks that her career is ruined, until an opportunity to present her reclusive grandmother with a famed award presents itself. The only catch? Evie's grandmother decides to disappear, and the only person that can help Evie find her is Milo, the weird guy who sometimes stays with her grandmother and delivers her groceries. Will they be able to find Gigi in time for the awards?

THIS BOOK WAS DELIGHTFUL. I loved every minute of it. I love a good YA romance, and black characters? WITHOUT A SOCIAL JUSTICE ANGLE? I *swoon.* Evie is super selfish but in that teenage, "the world revolves around me and my problems" kinda way that was kind of annoying but mostly relatable. Milo is so sweet. I loved him and his band and I wish that they will all get their own spinoff novellas so I can find out what happens with them. And I cannot stress enough how much I love a good grandmother, and Gigi is one of the best. She knew how to reach Evie and get her out of this funk, even if it took a lot more work than Evie expected. So sweet. Highly recommend.

Evie Jones, all set to make her big break and become a huge movie star (just like her grandmother) makes a mistake that results in her getting blacklisted. Her actions then prompt her to try and convince her grandmother to step back into the limelight and accept a lifetime achievement award. The only problem? Gigi has disappeared. Evie is desperate to find her grandmother but as she searches, she discovers more about who she is and what she truly needs to be happy.

This book was such an enjoyable and really heartwarming read. I especially appreciated how much Evie really feels like a teenager; her actions and speech have the dire quality that indicates how important every decision feels for her. She feels like a real person and your heart aches for her when she makes mistakes because we have all been that person. We have all made those mistakes. Forest's writing is beautifully clear and gives each of the characters just enough development so that everyone feels like a fully rounded character whether we see them in multiple chapters or a single interaction. None of the characters are perfect, but that just means we get to see more of ourselves in them. What's even better is that there is always a sense that the novel will end happily. Not in the Hollywood "everything is perfect forever and everyone gets everything they want" way but realistically happy for all the characters involved. I loved the not-a-romance between Evie and Milo, and the way that Forest's writing developed just enough tension to keep me on the edge of my seat while I was reading. The message of the story is clear - finding out who you are and what you want is a process but the most important thing of all is to be yourself. Judging others based on a surface level view isn't helpful since we so rarely get to see all of the struggles people go through to get where they are. Effortlessly enjoyable and a must-read for anyone who loves a good Rom-com and a happy ending.

This book is absolutely so adorable. I've been craving a romantic adventure lately, and this was just the thing. It's strongest point is that it has an incredible premise, and it just delivers. I loved the whole old glamour hollywood meets modern hollywood vibes. It was just fun to sink into and has a great book boyfriend.

What a spectacular YA romance. I usually find text messages and other add ins incredibly clunky but this book was smooth as butter and integrated texting and social media seamlessly. It brings up compelling themes of hyper self awareness, living up to familial legacies, and forging your own path. I read it over two days, completely immersed into the world.

Well, I'll sum up my entire review by simply saying: I finished this entire book in one day. I know I have a thing from rom coms, but I thought it was typically just movies. I've never liked realistic fiction all that much. But I think things really do change as you get older, because rom com books are TOTALLY my thing now.

Now That I've Found You centers around Evie Marie Jones, the granddaughter of legendary actress Evelyn Conaway and daughter of a pair of world renowned documentary makers. She's a rising star and proud of it, as she aspires to be just as great of an actress as her grandmother, Gigi, and has spent her whole life building up to that dream. It all comes crashing down when what she thought was a close friend betrays her in order to achieve her own stardom. Evie is left heartbroken and crushed. Not knowing what to do, she stays quiet and out of the public eye. When her grandmother is given the lifetime achievement award, the very same one that led to some drama forcing Gigi to recluse herself to NYC, Evie takes the opportunity to present her with the award. Especially when Gigi's ex, the cause of the drama 8 years ago, has the role of a lifetime for Evie. If she can get her grandmother to talk to him again.

Let me just start off by saying I tweeted the author about 80% into reading this a little sad and a little upset that I did NOT see the ultimate plot twist of plot twists coming up and when it hit, it hit SO HARD. And I was begging her for a happy ending and she promised me there was one. Sooooooooo, go into this book knowing that. I just loved this book. Mostly because Evie's voice was so honest and reflective. She isn't afraid of what she wants, even if she's just a little unsure of herself still. And then there's Milo, swoony guitarist of a band, which, let's face it, is my dream trope of a man. Even Evie isn't immune to the charms of a guitarist/songwriter/singer in a band. No one is. He's everything you want in a guy: takes care of old ladies, works a steady job, always there for his friends, writes songs about girls, and just if you're not swooning already, you should be. Milo bb can do no wrong in my heart ever.

I really don't even know what else to say other than this book is fantastic, you should read it, the author's a gem, and I am so very glad I picked this one up. Enjoy!!!