I really enjoyed this book. I think it’s such a great palette cleanser and can help a reader get out of a book slump. Overall it’s cute and had me in my feels during the sadder parts. I felt that the author did a great job explaining the main characters emotions and I felt as if I understood why she acted the way she did. I love how the supporting characters also had depth to them. Overall I am really happy with the overall pace and writing of the book.

"I Was Told There Would Be Romance" is a charming YA novel that perfectly blends heartwarming friendships, coming-of-age moments, and light romance. The story follows Fancy, a high schooler navigating her way through family expectations, evolving friendships, and a quest to be part of the most coveted event of the year. The romance is subtle but delightful, especially when Fancy convinces her crush to fake-date her to gain access to the party. What stands out in this story is the authentic portrayal of friendship, as Fancy faces the reality that her best friend is changing, and their bond is tested.

The book also delves deeply into family dynamics, particularly with Fancy's Haitian heritage, which leads to misunderstandings at school when a rumor about her practicing voodoo spreads. As Fancy's relationship with her parents evolves, the story beautifully explores the complexities of adolescence, identity, and the clash between tradition and self-discovery. While Fancy can be self-centered at times, her growth and eventual realization of her mistakes make for a relatable and fulfilling character arc.

Though the novel reads more like middle-grade than typical YA, it’s perfect for fans of quirky characters, humorous dialogue, and heartfelt moments. The blend of romance, personal growth, and cultural exploration makes this a memorable, feel-good read.

Y’all, this book was SO funny and cute. Following Fancy’s journey was so cool and seeing her grow was really lovely. This was a perfect YA romantic comedy. It definitely gave me early 2000s teen coming of age movie and I LOVED IT. I was 70% in and not sure how things were going to wrap up and if Fancy was going to have any personal growth, but I think it was all handled really well and there were no loose ends in the end!

Mini summary: Fancy is a 15-year-old who loves to read and loves ROMANCE. She and her best friend Tilly are surviving high school together, until something changes between them, causing Fancy (who isn’t good with change) to spin some lies.

Thank you to @netgalley for the eARC! This book was so fun and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

This book is the definition of short and sweet. Fancy was very easy to relate to because I think we’ve all experienced how she was feeling at some point in life. I thought her hijinks and relationship that she had with her school counselor was so funny. This story was truly refreshing to read.

This YA contemporary follows Fancy Augustine, a Haitian-American teen navigating the ups and downs of high school, friendships, and first crushes while juggling her cultural identity and personal insecurities. The premise is vibrant and unique, promising a mix of humor, heartfelt moments, and self-discovery.

While the book did succeed in capturing some laugh-out-loud moments and relatable teenage angst, it wasn’t entirely my cup of tea. Fancy’s journey is filled with drama and bold decisions that are true to her age, but I found some of her actions difficult to connect with as they leaned into selfishness and immaturity. While this might resonate with younger readers or those who enjoy a quirky, over-the-top protagonist, it felt a bit challenging for me as an adult reader to stay invested in her decisions.

That said, the Haitian cultural representation and exploration of identity were fresh and important, bringing a unique perspective to the YA genre. The writing had its strengths, particularly in lighter, comedic moments, but certain elements of the plot felt a little too chaotic for my taste.

For readers who enjoy bold, unapologetic heroines and don’t mind a bit of messy teenage drama, this book might be an entertaining pick. It’s a light-hearted story with a lot of heart, even if it didn’t fully connect with me.

I’m glad this wasn’t centered on a romance even though the ending was satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed this short novel. I felt like the main character, fancy was relatable and funny. The mean girlness in school and the finding who your true friends are is a coming of age story that’s common but i loved this one. I will admit that the whole “white Jesus” portion i didn’t really care for. It was strange and just off putting.

This was a lighthearted, charming, humorous romance. I found myself laughing out loud so many times. In this story, we follow Fancy, a 15 year old Haitian American. She is a social outcast at school who dreams of popularity and boys. She desperately wants an invite to the biggest social event of the year, Imani's party, and will stop at nothing to get it : broken friendships, fake dating, Haitian Voodoo, and neglected school work. Fancy's character with her quirkiness, struggle with change, and love for romance novels, was very relatable. I loved her funny banter with Ms Washington, and her conversation with WJ took me out.

This was so cute and perfect for younger and older YA readers. It was witty and fast paced. I loved the lessons the character learned as she navigated through her mistakes. I liked reading about the experience of a child of immigrants and the way the family impacted her. Such a cute book!!

This was the cutesttttt YA book! I recently binged Never Have I Ever and Devi has nothing on my girl Fancy. And that’s saying a lot 😂 Fancy stressed me outtttt and I kept wondering when her school counselor was going to refer her out because my girl clearly needed a little bit more help. I love that Rahim and Tyson turned out to be such good guys.

This was such a cute YA story and while I'm definitely not the target audience, I still enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Marie Arnold, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fancy is a 15 year old Haitian American typical high school girl. She wants to have a boyfriend and "normal boobs". What she wants more than anything though is an invite to the biggest party of the year especially when she learns her best friend Tilly (and Tilly's secret boyfriend) is invited this year. Fancy is hurt and is determined to have that on her own. Even at the experience of being honest with her parents and her school work.

Soon Fancy learns that she can come but only if she has a boyfriend. In walks her crush, Rahim. Rahim thinks that she can do voodoo and agrees to be her fake boyfriend if she can make his mom fall in love with his dad again. Fancy is so involved in her plan that she continues to neglect her school work and her parents threaten to send her back to Haiti. Will they make good on their promise?

A fun and diverse YA read! I loved Fancy's personality and the fact that high school drama is still the same as it was when I was in school. I will recommend this book to others.

This was a great younger YA read. Fancy is a perfect representation of a young teenage girl wanting to be popular and looking for her first love. Her flare for drama leads to some hilarious moments, but she also can be a little petty and selfish. It is perfect for fans of To All The Boys. Thank you for the opportunity to read and leave my honest opinion.

5 Reasons to Read I Was Told There Would Be Romance

Friendship

Fancy’s best friend Tilly has been busy lately. It isn’t until she finds out Tilly has a boyfriend and was invited to the party of the year that their friendship is tested. It’s a realistic portrayal of how much high school friendships change.

Romance References

From Booktok to Meet Cutes. Fancy is all about romance so the references to classic movies and other pop culture romances made reading a lot of fun!

Fake Dating

The only way Fancy can make it to the party of the year is to get herself a boyfriend. What better way to do that than to recruit her crush to pretend to be her boyfriend in exchange for a falling out of love potion?

Haitian Voodoo

It takes one disastrous outburst during one of her classes about the fact she’s Haitian to cause everyone in the school to start believing that if she’s Haitian than she must practice voodoo.

Family

Fancy’s parents are all about traditions. So when they find out she has a boyfriend, lied about being a Voodoo witch, and continues to rebel they threaten with sending her to live with her grandparents in Haiti. This book really dives into the changes in family dynamics as teenagers come into their own identities and pushing boundaries. Parent’s also need to come to realize that as tough as it may be, there comes a time where they need to let go of the reigns a bit to allow their children to navigate this crazy life. I really enjoyed the growth of the relationship between Fancy and her parents throughout the book.

Okay, this book is hilarious. I spit out my water at one point because I was unprepared for the humor. I applied for it on Netgalley solely because, come on, that cover? And I am so glad because the inside matches the outside.

If you like potions, romance, drama, high school, funny books, family, and friendships, read this one so fast. Like now.

I would like to start off by saying thank you to Marie Arnold and NetGalley for this E-ARC.

This book was so freaking funny. The story follows a teenager named Fancy who is trying the navigate high school as a plus sized, Haitian, girl who is not well liked. (It’s not like she is disliked per se but IMO most people are indifferent to her and she is dramatic AF about it.) I will say the MFC was hilarious for the first couple of chapters and then it became really hard to root for her. A lot of her actions through the book are selfish, petty and the epitome of being a bad friend. Granted, she is in high school and we all did dumb things back in high school that we aren’t proud of. That being said the ending sort of redeemed the MFC in my opinion but you’ll have to read to find out why that is… 😉

📖 Book Review 📖 I have three tween-teen girls and it feels like a constant roller coaster ride of emotions with them and reading Marie Arnold’s I Was Told There Would Be Romance felt like a glimpse into the inner workings of the daily grind of the mind of a teenager and it was funny, insightful, and priceless! This book highlights that even though we have cultural differences, the shared experiences of being a teenage girl can be a uniting force. Fancy certainly has a flair for the drama and it unfolds perfectly in the pages of this book. It’s absolutely refreshing to see the beloved elements of a traditional rom com lovingly placed in a young adult (probably okay for middle grade) read because they deserve the love too! I Was Told There Would Be Romance knocked it out of the park from the meet cute to the laughs, this is such a great read!

This was a funny and compelling YA romcom that features a Haitian American teen girl looking for love and popularity who ocassionally goes over the top in pursuit of romance only to find herself constantly in the guidance councillor's office. Fancy has to sacrifice her best friend and her integrity when she opts for popularity over honesty disappointing not only her best friend but also her parents. Perfect for fans of authors like Elise Bryant and a fabulous over the top dramatic debut that is sure to delight high schoolers who have an idealized romantic streak. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and physical copy in exchange for my honest review

CW: parental abandonment, ADHD

This was a good young adult contemporary fiction read. I loved following main character, Fancy, in this story and found her to be a memorable character. This was a very cute coming of age story that young adult readers are sure to enjoy.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

Marie Arnold's tale of the fabulous, fiesty and absolutely fantastic Falencia, aka Fancy, is an absolute delight to breeze through.
There is a 'mean girls' meets 'to all the boys i ever loved' vibes with moments of voodoo sprinkled in.. Fancy is absolutely blazing as the book loving, manic romantic who will do anything to get to Imani Parker's party. The story flowed and the conversation sparkled. It was a quick read ( I was done in a couple of hours) and was grinning throughout! The author's use of parental control and never have I ever vibes is absolutely delightful! A definite must read for fans of Lynn Painter!!! You can't help love Fancy, despite her pettiness and lil white lies, she has a loveable quality that endears her to the reader!

Thank you to Marie Arnold's for this happy joie de vivre story!! It certainly made my day!! And a special Thank you for this ArC Netgalley!!

I Was Told There Would Be Romance is a sweet and funny story about friendship, first crushes, being boy crazy, and wanting to fit in. Fancy, a young Haitian American student, dreams of falling in love with a cute boy named Rahim and getting invited to the party of the year. When a series of crazy events leads her to trick the school into thinking she's a voodoo witch, she strikes a deal with Rahim to fake date so she can attend the party she's been hoping for.

This story had me laughing right from the start. The humor is definitely a highlight, but what I appreciated most was the emphasis on friendship over romance. Though the writing style felt more middle-grade despite the characters being in high school, it was still enjoyable and I think many young adults would appreciate it too.

CAWPILE Rating:
Characters: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Writing: 8
Plot: 6
Intrigue: 7
Logic: 7
Enjoyment: 7

Overall, it's a lighthearted and entertaining read that celebrates friendship and the fun of being a teenager.

Thanks to NetGalley, TBR & Beyond Tours, and the Little Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.